Thank you so much for choosing to take care of your feet and ankles with us. Your feet are the foundation on which the rest of your body stands. When they are in pain, the rest of you struggles as well. Feet and ankles work so hard, but can be easy to take for granted and forget about. Investing in your lower limb health is a step in the right direction to help you stay comfortably on your feet for your whole life.
Before Your First Visit
We know visiting a new doctor can be a stressful experience. We want to make sure your appointment goes as smoothly as possible. It helps if you come prepared! We will need your current insurance cards and photo ID, so please don’t forget to bring them. Also, please download, print off, and complete our two patient forms before you arrive. This will help speed up your check-in process.
During your first appointment, we will be asking you a lot of questions about both what brought you in that day as well as about your medical history. It’s helpful if you record a list of your symptoms, as well as questions for the doctor, so you don’t forget. If your problem involves walking or exercise issues, bring your walking or athletic shoes with you so we can check them as well.
We also ask you to bring a list of any and all medications you’re taking, along with past surgeries, allergies, and current health conditions. If you have relevant tests, X-rays, or lab results from past doctors or hospitals that you can bring, we’d appreciate those as well. This information helps us get a fuller picture of your health and factors that might be affecting your feet and ankles.
Get the Most out of Your Appointment
We want to make sure your questions are answered and your foot and ankle problems taken care of during your appointment with us. Be completely open about your symptoms, including when they started and how they’ve been affecting your lower limbs. We’ll go over our diagnoses, any tests you might need, and your treatment options. We may examine wear patters on your shoes and your walking or running mechanics. Remember, we are here to help you, so if you don’t understand something we’ve discussed with you, please ask more questions.
Insurance and Self-Pay
Insurance is complicated and every provider (and their individual plans) are slightly different. We do our best to work with your insurance to make sure your needs are met. However, there may be some out-of-pocket expenses. Also, if you’re not sure if we accept your insurance, call us to confirm ahead of your appointment.
We do partner with most major PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations), along with Medicare. We also accept cash-pay patients. However, we are not an HMO contractor, and we do not accept Workers Compensation. If you’re not sure what services your individual plan covers, we encourage you to check with your insurance provider.
Most insurance plans do come with some kind of out-of-pocket payment plan. These expenses are due at your appointment:
- Deductible – This is a set amount of up-front fees that you must pay before insurance picks up and starts to cover your expenses.
- Co-Insurance – You pay a percentage of all or select services that you receive with your treatment. (Some policies have a maximum cap for this.)
- Co-pay – You pay a portion of your office visit up front, before your insurance is billed.
For those who choose the self-pay route, we have a number of standard fees; however, these rates might change without notice.
| Initial office visit | $ 125 |
| Follow up visit | $ 70 |
| Toenail Avulsion | $ 150 |
| Orthotics (includes biomechanics evaluation, casting, dispense, and 2 follow up visits) | $ 400 |
| X-ray | $ 50 |
| * Rates subject to change without notice. | |
Taking steps to invest in your foot health is a good and worthwhile thing. We know visiting a new doctor’s office can be confusing and overwhelming. We want to do whatever we can to make your visit as smooth and easy as possible. If you have any questions or concerns about your visit, please contact us before your appointment, by calling our Berkeley, CA, office at (510) 647-3744. We look forward to meeting and working with you soon!