Policies

We work hard to not overuse antibiotics.

We educate families on appropriate use of antibiotics, but follow evidence-based guidelines and don’t automatically treat ear pain or a green snotty nose with antibiotics.

We do not routinely prescribe antibiotics over the phone as we do not believe that is good medicine. We will prescribe an antibiotic when we believe it is an appropriate treatment.

Everyone's Time is Equally Valuable.

We ask that you arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. We understand sometimes things happen beyond your control that may cause you to be late. However, we reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you arrive late for your appointment.

Our practice makes every effort to run on time with appointments, as we believe everyone’s time is equally valuable.

Upcoming Appointments Via Phone/Text Message/Email

Missed Appointments: Broken appointments represent a cost to us, to you, and to other patients who could have been seen in the time set aside for you. We reserve the right to charge a fee for canceled or missed appointments. We request 24 hours notice for cancellation of appointments.

A fee may be charged for a second missed appointment. The third consecutive missed appointment will result in discharge from the practice.

For new patients, a fee may be charged if the FIRST appointment is missed.

Efficiency through the use of technology

You will be encouraged to consult our website, register for and use our patient portal, and effectively use automated reminders for appointments and for routine care/immunizations that are due.

Privacy Statement

GPM Pediatrics has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to your privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for this website:

ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION THROUGH PMD

We do not acquire any more information about website visitors than is required by law or is otherwise necessary to provide a high level of service efficiently and securely. Our site’s registration form requires users to give us contact information (e.g., their name and e-mail address) and demographic information (e.g., children’s birth months, but not birth dates). We use customer contact information from the registration form to (1) send the user pertinent medical and parenting information and (2) allow your local health provider lists of who is registering on that provider’s site as a parent/guardian, staff member, doctor, or visitor. Users may opt-out of receiving future mailings; see the choice/opt-out section below.

We use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our Website. Your IP address is used to help identify you and to gather broad demographic information.

Demographic and profile data is also collected at our site. We may use this data to tailor the visitor’s experience at our site, showing them content that we think they might be interested in, and displaying the content according to their preferences.

Our site may use order forms to allow users to request information, products, and services.

YOUR DOCTOR’S RIGHT TO PRIVACY

We will respect your doctor’s right to privacy. A doctor typically does not give his/her e-mail address to the parents/guardians of patients. We will not provide the e-mail addresses of doctor(s) in the local practice to users of their site without the doctor(s)’ permission. Their site is restricted to use by whomever they wish, and they may deny access to their site to one or more prior users. In unusual cases, doctors may change their private site’s access code and arrange for us to e-mail the new access code to approved users.

COOKIES

We use cookies to deliver content specific to your interests and to save your doctor’s access code so you don’t have to re-enter it each time you visit our site.

LINKS

This site contains links to other sites. GPM Pediatrics is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Websites.

DISCLOSURE TO THIRD PARTIES

We will provide individually-identifiable information about website users to third parties only if we are compelled to do so by order of a duly-empowered governmental authority, we have the express permission of the visitor, or it is necessary to process transactions and provide you services from our affiliates: Live Agent Answering Service, Digital Answering Service, Medical Answering Service and Pediatric Answering Service.

PRIVACY AND OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS

When we make our technology or services available to business partners, we will not share with them any more consumer information than is necessary, and we will make every reasonable effort to assure, by contract or otherwise, that they use our technology and services in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy.

PUBLIC FORUMS

This site may make chat rooms, forums, message boards, and/or news groups available to its users. Please remember that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information.

SECURITY

This site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. For further information regarding our security, please contact us at info@gpmpediatrics.com. If you have any concerns regarding the security of information, please do not provide any information to GPM Pediatrics until you are comfortable with our security measures.

CORRECT/UPDATE

You may correct or update your User Registration information at any time, by visiting the User Registration section and providing your personal password that you set at registration. If need be, please email us at info@gpmpediatrics.com

CHOICE/OPT-OUT

Our site provides users the opportunity to opt-out of receiving e-mail communications from our partners or us, except communications approved by your doctor’s practice office. To so opt-out, please email us at info@gpmpediatrics.com. To be removed as a user, please email us at the same address. If need be, you may mail requests to us at either one of our two offices.

CONTACTING THE WEBSITE

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this Website, you can contact us by email at info@gpmpediatrics.com or by mail at our address above.

GPM Pediatrics PC's Financial Policy

Notice of Privacy (for review purposes only – you do not need to bring this form with you)

As medical professionals, 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. 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 are more than willing to discuss any questions you may have about vaccines.

CO-PAYMENTS

Co-payments are a contractual agreement between the policyholder and their insurance company. The co-payment is part of the payment, which is issued to your physicians. This payment is made at the time of your child’s appointment. Well visits are excluded from Co-payments unless otherwise instructed by your insurance carrier.

DEDUCTIBLES

Deductibles are an out-of-pocket expense. The amount of the deductible is based on the policyholders’ contract with their employer and their insurance carrier. There are in-network deductibles and out-of-network deductibles.

NON-COVERED PROCEDURES

The policyholder receives the explanation of benefits (EOBs) in the mail from their insurance carrier; they explain what procedures were performed on that date of service. These are procedures that your insurance company will not cover and pay. The EOBs will determine what the policyholder is responsible for, if the insurance does not cover procedures. Self-pay patients are responsible for all charges and should be paid at time of service. If this is not possible, you must see the billing department to discuss a financial agreement.

CO-INSURANCE

Co-insurance is also an out-of-pocket expense. Co-insurance is based on the member’s contract with their insurance carrier. Some insurance carriers pay at a percentage rate of 80/20 while others may pay at a percentage rate of 70/30; the rates vary. Depending on the percentage rate, your insurance will pay that percent, leaving the balance to the member. If the secondary insurance does not cover, then the policyholder would be responsible.

We expect payment of your co-pay at the time of service. For your convenience we accept cash, check, and the following credit cards:

• American Express
• Mastercard
• Visa
• Discover

Monthly payment arrangements can be set up, please contact Billing at 718.982.6800 or via email at billing@gpmpediatrics.com. You can also choose to pay your bill online.