Policies

The health and well-being of your children are our top priorities. We firmly support the expert guidance and recommendations provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). As such, our vaccine policy aligns with the evidence-based immunization schedule developed by the AAP.

We believe:

• Vaccines save lives. Immunizations have been proven to prevent serious illnesses, reduce the spread of contagious diseases, and protect vulnerable populations.  Vaccinating children and young adults may be the single most important health-promoting intervention we perform as health care providers, and that you can perform as parents/caregivers.
• Vaccines are safe.   The recommended vaccines and their schedule are the results of years of scientific study, rigourous safety standards and data gathering on millions of children by thousands of our brightest scientists and physicians to ensure that vaccines are both effective and safe for children and young adults.
• Vaccines protect communities. By vaccinating according to the recommended schedule, we help prevent outbreaks and protect individuals who cannot be immunized, such as infants too young for certain vaccines or those with certain medical conditions.

The vaccine campaign is truly a victim of its own success. It is precisely because vaccines are so effective at preventing illness that we are even discussing whether or not they should be given. Because of vaccines, many of you have never seen a child with polio, tetanus, bacterial meningitis or even chickenpox, or known a friend or family member whose child died of one of these diseases. Such success can make us complacent about vaccinating. But such an attitude, if it becomes widespread, can unfortunately lead to tragic results.

Furthermore, if you do not vaccinate your child you are taking advantage of thousands of others who do vaccinate their children, which decreases the likelihood that your child will contract one of these diseases. We feel such an attitude to be somewhat unfair.  You are also putting our other patients who are not able to be vaccinated for specific reasons at risk of developing these fatal diseases.

We are making you aware of these facts not to scare you or coerce you, but to emphasize the importance of vaccinating your child. We recognize that the choice may be a very emotional one for some parents. Should you have doubts, we would love to discuss your hesitations at your visit. In some cases, we may alter the schedule to accommodate parental concerns or reservations. Please be advised, however, that delaying vaccines goes against expert recommendations, and can put your child at risk.     

We require all of our patients to get vaccinated unless medically contraindicated.  The first vaccine need to be given no later than 3 months and all of the vaccines that are recommended before 2 years must be completed by your child's 2nd  birthday.  

If you should refuse to vaccinate your child, we will respect your decision but we will ask you to find another health care provider who shares your views. 

As pediatricians, we feel very strongly that vaccinating children on schedule with currently available vaccines is absolutely the right thing to do for all children and young adults. Please feel free to discuss any concerns you may have about vaccines with us.  We welcome having the conversation with you.

Our Policy Highlights:

• Recommended Schedule: We follow the immunization schedule endorsed by the AAP because it has been carefully developed to provide the best protection at the most appropriate times.
• Evidence-Based Approach: Our recommendations are grounded in the latest medical research and data, reflecting a strong consensus among pediatric and public health experts.
• Transparent Communication: We are always available to discuss any questions or concerns about vaccines and are committed to providing clear, respectful information about the benefits and potential risks.

We understand that deciding how to protect your child’s health is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. By following this policy, we aim to ensure that every child in our care has the opportunity to grow up healthy, safe, and protected against preventable diseases.

We respect everyone's time.   In order to see our patients on time, we kindly ask that you arrive 10 minutes early for your appointment. While we understand delays happen, if you  arrive more than 15 minutes late, we likely will need to reschedule to keep us on schedule.   

If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, please call our office 24 hours before your appointment to reschedule. This will allow us time to provide that time slot to another patient. Failure to appear for an appointment or canceling less than 24 hours prior to a scheduled appointment will result in a $50 charge for sick visits and $100 for Well Child visits.

In order to receive your preferred date and time for your well-child visits, we ask that you schedule your next appointment as you exit the office.  All appointments must be scheduled including sick visits. Sick visits can be booked and seen on the same day. 

You must confirm with your insurance company that we are a contracted provider for your particular plan.  We will bill your insurance company after each visit. It is your responsibility to provide us with current insurance information. According to your insurance plan, you are responsible for any and all co-payments, deductibles, and coinsurances. Co pays must be paid at the time of service. After your visit charges have been reconciled with your insurance, you will receive a billing statement from our office. Any balance remaining on your account for services not covered by your insurance company is your responsibility. If you have no insurance, payment for an office visit is to be paid in full at the time of service. The amount on your statement will reflect your balance, and that balance is payable on receipt.  

Please pay your statement balance when you receive your bill. When we bill your insurance, we are in a sense, extending you credit for services we performed while waiting to be paid. We are often not paid by the insurance company until 45 – 60 days after we see your child. When we have to make multiple attempts to collect balances from you, it takes time away from other important functions of the office and increases our costs.

A $30 fee will be charge for any return checks. A $25 late fee will be automatically added to your bill for every 30 days your payment is late. Any balance outstanding longer than 45 days will be forwarded to a collection agency and you will be discharged from our practice. It is your responsibility to understand your insurance policy and what benefits ar covered and not covered including for well check-ups. As a courtesy we will bill your insurance for you. However, all charges not covered by your insurance company are your responsibility. Please be sure to notify us of any changes in insurance, address or phone numbers.

Remember, newborns must be added to your insurance plan within the first 30 days after birth.

Larchmont Pediatrics Annual Administrative Family Fee will be due each year.  For more details, please review our Annual Administrative Family Fee Agreement below.

You can reach our billing department Mon - Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm at (323) 960-8500 or by e-mailing billing@larchmontpediatric.com.

At Larchmont Pediatrics, we are committed to providing the best possible care to our patients. Many changes have taken place in the health insurance industry in recent years. Services once covered in full are now partially covered with lower payments, covered only under certain circumstances, or in some cases not covered at all.

We want to provide high quality medical care that is based on our families’ needs including services that are not covered by insurance companies. We charge an annual administrative fee to all our families in order that we may provide comprehensive, exceptional care. This fee includes non-covered and non-reimbursable administrative services such as:

• Completing forms for child care centers, schools, sports and camps within 3 business days at no charge.
• Writing notes for missed school or work, P.E. excuses, return to activities.
• Sending copies of medical records to specialists and/or other providers at no additional charge upon your written request.
• Preparing letters and reports.
• Coordination of care with specialists at no charge.

Families with one child: $200 per year

Families with two children: $300 per year

Families with three or more children: $400

Please feel free to contact our office at (323) 960-8500 with any questions or concerns. We are aware that health insurance is expensive. By charging a single annual fee and not charging you for individual services (ie completion of forms, writing letters, etc). your out of pocket expenses will actually be lower.  If you are experiencing financial hardship, we will work with you so that you can remain in our practice.

Our goal is to provide comprehensive, high quality medical care to your family. We are honored to be your family’s medical home!

Our practice values efficiency by utilizing technology. We encourage you to visit our website, register for our patient portal, and use automated reminders for appointments and routine care or immunizations when available.

Our doctors use an AI scribe to improve the accuracy of their documentation as well as to allow them have more eye contact with you and your child and be more engaged during the visit.   We know many parents have questions and concerns about an AI scribe being used.   We are happy to answer your questions.  We will have you sign a consent form if you are willing to let us use an AI scribe.  If you decline, we understand and your doctor will take notes on their computer during the visit.  

• AI Scribe Consent Form

• Notice of Privacy Practices

We strive to minimize antibiotic overuse by educating families on proper use and adhering to evidence-based guidelines for responsible prescribing. Since many illnesses are viral and don't require antibiotics, our pediatricians explain alternative treatments and emphasize the importance of natural healing when appropriate.

Furthermore, we avoid prescribing antibiotics over the phone and rarely via telemedicine, as we believe in conducting proper assessments including a physical exam before doing so. Antibiotics are prescribed only when necessary and appropriate, ensuring patient well-being while mitigating the risks of antibiotic resistance and unnecessary side effects.