Office & Appointment Policies
What ages do you treat?
Sunshine Pediatrics may begin seeing your child as a newborn. We will continue to see your child until the child completes their last year of high school, including their pre-college exam.
What if my child is sick? Do you accept walk-ins?
Sunshine Pediatrics sees patients on an appointment only basis. We do not offer walk-in visits. We do reserve same-day appointments for sick children. During regular office hours, if your child is ill and needs to be seen, we appreciate your calling in advance in order that we may see patients most efficiently. During high peak cold/flu season (approximately between mid-November and early March) the waits tend to be longer due to the higher volume of sick visits.
How often does my baby need to be seen for a well child visit?
We follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics well child checkup schedule, which recommends the following visits:
Do I need to fill out any forms before I come in?
We have placed our office forms in PDF on this site for your convenience and to help expedite services. Feel free to print any of those off and complete them in full. You may fax or mail these or other form requests. You may also bring the completed forms to your appointment. If you choose to bring them, please arrive at least 20 minutes before your scheduled time to allow for the entry of information into our system.
Alternatively, you may fax or mail the documents in:
Can you (re)fill my child's prescription over the phone?
Prescriptions can only be refilled during normal office hours. The on-call physician will not prescribe or refill any medication after office hours. When calling in for a refill, the required time needed is 24 - 48 hours to complete your request.
Will you pierce my baby/child's ears?
Due to many inquiries we are pleased to offer ear piercing in a private, sterile environment by our professionally trained personnel. The fee is $35-45 (depending on the jewelry selected) and is not covered by insurance.
Piercing must be with our selection of earrings, which are sterile, 24 karat gold electroplated and hypoallergenic (no nickel). After-care instructions will also be included.
Financial & Insurance
I have to cancel my appointment. Will there be a fee?
Missed appointments, without notice, are disruptive to our office and keep others from being seen. We request a 24 hour cancellation notifice to avoid the $35.00 no-show fee.
Do I need to bring my insurance card?
Due to frequent changes in health insurance coverage, we require that you provide proof of insurance coverage at each visit. If you do not have insurance, are unable to provide proof of insurance coverage, or are on a plan in which we do not participate, full payment is required at the time of your visit.
When is my co-pay due and how can I pay?
All co-payments are due at the time of service. Please be aware that some services provided may not be covered by your insurance. You are personally responsible for these services. For your convenience we accept cash, Visa/MasterCard (including debit cards), American Express, and Discover.
What if my insurance doesn't pay?
If we are a participating provider, we will file your insurance for each visit. Should there be a dispute with your insurance company, our insurance department will attempt to resolve it for you as a courtesy. During this time, the balance may be transferred to your responsibility. Please note that your insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company, therefore, your balance is your responsibility.
Financial arrangements for large balances can be made through our payment program. Failure to resolve any past due accounts will result in referral to a collection agency. Any family whose account is forwarded to a collection agency will be dismissed from our practice.
Medical Records
What if I need to transfer my child's records to another doctor?
When requesting your child(ren)'s medical record to be transferred, please be advised that the required time needed to complete your request is 5 business days. There is also no fee to transfer your child's record to one doctor.
In the event you are requesting copies of the medical records yourself, there will be a fee per child in accordance with Florida law. We will make every effort to complete your request in the shortest time possible.
Immunization records can be provided at no charge for current patients. Immunization records are always available, by request, during your well-child visit. If you need immunization records at any other time, there is a $5 fee per child, per form.
My child needs a form for daycare, sports, school, or camp. How do I get that?
Immunization forms for daycare and/or school can be requested at the time of routine well child visits at no charge. It is your responsibility to make your request for the forms when the nurse is working your child up for their well child visit.
If your child requires another separate physical, you will need to schedule an appointment for a “sport physical” at a charge of $35.00 (no insurance can be filled for a sport physical).
Do you use paper or electronic records?
All of Sunshine Pediatrics' medical records are maintained by a Electronic Medical Records (EMR) program. EMR offers maximum confidentiality, improved continuity of care, and advanced record keeping.
We are HIPAA compliant and you can find a copy of our notice
on our
Forms
page.
New Babies
My baby was born at the hospital. When should they be seen?
If you are a parent of a newborn, please call the office after being discharged from the hospital to make your baby's first appointment. We like to see hospital-born babies at 3-5 days of age. If you have a newborn boy who you choose to have circumcised, we prefer to circumcise your son on between 2-6 weeks. Please inform us when you call so we can appropriately schedule enough time for the procedure.
My baby was born at a birth center or at home. When should I schedule their first visit?
If you had a homebirth, or delivered at a birth center, please call the office within a few hours. All babies born under these circumstances need to be seen in our office within 24 hours of birth. You must have an appointment for this visit.