PRACTICE INFORMATION
Policies & Resources
Everything you need to know about how we operate – appointment policies, financial guidelines, what to expect at visits, and resources to help you navigate your child’s care. Please read through these policies before your first visit.
OUR PARTNERSHIP
What Families Should Expect from Us —
And What We Expect From Families
What We Promise You
- Professional, respectful care at every visit
- Clear explanation of diagnoses and treatment plans
- Evidence-based decisions
- Transparent financial policy and billing
- Respect for patient privacy and confidentiality
- Timely access for sick visits and urgent concerns
- Online paperwork, portal messaging, after-hours support
What We Ask of Families
- Accurate and complete medical information at every visit
- Respectful behavior towards staff and other families
- Compliance with appointment and office policies
- Timely payment of patient responsibility
- Arrive 15 minutes early with current insurance card and ID
- Complete online forms ahead of time when possible
- Understand that urgent medical needs may be prioritized
HOW SCHEDULING WORKS AT CARE & CURE PEDIATRICS
Appointment Policies
Scheduling
Book online or call (972) 893-1192. We offer well visits, office visits including same-day urgent visits, sports physicals, ear piercing, and immigration exams — each requiring a specific appointment type.
Arrival
Please arrive 15 minutes early to complete any remaining paperwork. Bring your current insurance card and photo ID to every visit. Complete online forms before your appointment.
Arrival
Patients arriving more than 10 minutes late may need to be rescheduled. We do our best to accommodate late arrivals, but doing so is not always possible without impacting other patients’ wait times.
HOW TO RESCHEDULE AND WHAT FEES APPLY
Cancellation & No-show Policy
We understand that life with children is unpredictable. When you need to cancel, please give us as much notice as possible so we can offer your slot to another family in need.
Tuesday-Friday appointment cancellation/reschedule
24 business hours before appointment – No Fee
< 24 business hours before appointment – $40 fee
Monday appointment cancellation/reschedule
By 3:00 PM the preceding Friday – No Fee
After 3:00 PM the preceding Friday – $40 fee
No-show
Missed appointment – $40 fee
Same-day visit no-show
Missed appointment – $40 fee
Billing, payments, card on file, and self-pay services
Financial Policy
Payment at Time of Service
Copays, estimated patient responsibilities including deductible, coinsurance, and any known patient balances are due at the time of your visit. We accept cash, debit cards, and major credit cards.
Card on File
Care & Cure Pediatrics maintains a card on file per our PCI DSS-compliant payment policy. The card on file is used for patient balances after insurance processing, outstanding balances, and applicable fees (no-show, late cancellation). You will be notified before any charge is applied.
Statements & Balances
If you receive a statement, payment is due on receipt. Questions about your bill? Please email billing@cacpeds.com and our billing team will assist.
Self-Pay Services
Services like sports physicals, immigration medical exams, ear cleaning and ear piercings are self-pay services. For these, and for families without insurance, we offer clear, upfront pricing so there are no surprises. Payment is collected at the time of service.
insurance network, verification, and your financial responsibility
Insurance Policy
Care & Cure Pediatrics accepts most major commercial insurance plans. We hold Tier 1 (top quality) designation by several insurance plans.
We Accept
- Anthem
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- United Healthcare
- Humana
- Most major commercial plans
Note: In-network status may vary based on your specific plan.
Your Responsibility
- Verify your plan is active and in-network before scheduling an appointment
- Notify us of any insurance changes well ahead of your visit
- Know your benefits and responsibilities (copay, deductible, coinsurance)
- Bring the patient’s current insurance card to every visit
Important Notes
- If a new medical concern arises during a well check, it must be coded and charged as an office visit in addition to the well visit
- Sports physicals, ear cleaning, ear piercing and USCIS related visits are self-pay services
- We verify insurance at each visit – delayed updating of insurance information could result in delay in verification and rescheduling
Choosing a Plan for a Young Child
Because a child’s health needs in the first few years are hard to predict, families of newborns and infants may want to consider a plan with stronger benefits and a lower deductible. Adding a baby is typically a qualifying life event that lets you review or change coverage — we encourage you to compare your options with your employer’s HR team or insurance provider.
PATIENT PORTAL
How to use the portal —
And what it's NOT for
Appropriate portal use
- Brief, non-urgent questions about existing condition or treatment plan
- Viewing lab and test results once released
- Reviewing visit summaries, vaccine records, and growth charts
- Updating contact or insurance information
- Requesting routine documentation
- Paying bills and viewing statements
Not appropriate for portal messages
- Urgent / emergencies – For emergencies, call 911 or go to the ER
- Time-sensitive symptoms needing same day attention – call instead
- Medication changes or refills requiring evaluations
- New, complex or sensitive problems that require examination
- Clinical decisions or diagnoses
- Treating portal as real time chat – it isn’t monitored continuously
Proxy Access & Your Teen’s Privacy
For younger children, a parent or legal guardian holds the portal account and manages their care through it (“proxy access”). As children grow into adolescence, state and federal privacy laws give them certain confidentiality protections around specific types of care. Because of this, a parent’s access to a teen’s portal may become more limited as the child gets older, and some information may not appear in the parent-facing view. This isn’t a glitch — it reflects the privacy rights your child is entitled to. If you have questions about who can access your child’s portal or how proxy access changes over time, please reach out and our staff will be glad to walk you through it.
A Note on Portal Messages & Billing
Most portal messages are part of our normal service and carry no charge. However, messages that require clinical decision-making may incur charges that may or may not be covered based on your insurance plan. If a question would be better handled as a visit, we’ll always let you know.
WHEN OFFICE IS CLOSED - WHAT TO DO AND WHO TO CALL
After-Hours Care
Nurse Advice Line
Established patients can access an after-hours nurse advice line for non-emergency guidance. The nurse can help you determine whether your child should be seen urgently or can wait until the office opens.
Urgent Care
For concerns that need same-day care when the office is closed, an urgent care center is an appropriate option for non-emergency situations (minor injuries, mild illness, etc.).
911 / Emergency Room
For true emergencies — difficulty breathing, severe allergic reaction, seizure, high fever in infants under 3 months, unresponsiveness, or any life-threatening concern — go directly to the ER or call 911. Do not call the office first.
HOW WE PROTECT YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH INFORMATION
Privacy & HIPAA
Care & Cure Pediatrics is fully compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Your child’s protected health information (PHI) is kept strictly confidential and is never shared without your written authorization except as permitted by law.
Adolescent Confidentiality
Texas law grants adolescents certain rights to confidential care, particularly regarding mental health, substance use, reproductive health, and certain other sensitive services. Dr. Vani follows state law regarding what information may and may not be shared with parents/guardians.
Authorized Representatives
We can only discuss a child’s medical information with the parent or legal guardian on file unless written authorization is provided. Please inform us of any custody arrangements or legal guardianship changes that affect who may access records or make medical decisions.