Billing and Payment

Which Insurance plans do you accept?

We proudly participate with certain select health insurance plans and continue to enroll or become in-network with several others. At the present time Priority 1 Urgent Care accepts

  • 1199SEIU

  • Aetna

  • Capital District Physicians Health Plan (CDPHP)

  • Cigna

  • Empire Blue Cross/Anthem

  • Highmark Blue Shield - Northeastern New York (HBS-NENY)

  • Hooray Health

  • Humana

  • MagnaCare

  • Medicare

  • Meritain Health

  • Mohawk Valley Physicians Health Plan (MVP)

  • New York State Empire Plan (NYSHIP)

  • Oxford

  • Railroad Medicare

  • United Health Care

  • UMR

  • WellCare

Check back in often as we continually update this information.

How much will my copay be?

Co-payments vary among insurance plans. To get your specific co-pay information, we'll need to see your insurance card and verify the insurance carrier. We recommend that you call the member services number on the back of your insurance card first to ask about coverage and any co-payment fee questions you may have.

I don’t have my insurance card with me, can I still be seen?

Although it is much preferred that you present a valid insurance card at the time of service, we will see you and bill your insurance if you have a photo ID and your insurance member ID number, or can get that information from your insurance provider. You can also pay the cost of a visit up front and be reimbursed by your insurance company later on.

Do you accept cash and credit cards?

Yes, we accept both. You are also welcome to use a debit card or Medical Flexible Spending Account/Health Savings Account (HSA) card.

What is the Payment Card on File system?

The Payment Card on File (PCOF) system allows for smoother transactions and visit billing. PCOF is a rapidly growing trend in the healthcare industry, mirroring business practices commonly found in other areas of commerce and industry. With changes in financing caused by the Affordable Care Act, the advent of health insurance exchanges, and significant increases in patient insurance deductibles, health care providers have found it necessary to implement similar policies. The purpose of PCOF is to guarantee payment for services rendered that may not be completely covered by insurance, including services applied to a patient’s deductible.

Signing up for PCOF is simple. When a patient visits, the patient swipes their payment card of choice (Medical Flexible Spending, Debit, or Credit) and signs a prior authorization form giving us permission to keep card information on file.  A copy of the signed form is then scanned and saved into the patient’s electronic medical record. The patient’s payment card information is safely held on a secure encrypted gateway site that is completely compliant as required by law. No financial information will be available to our staff, held in our system, or kept at our office. Co-pays will still be collected at each visit and can be paid in any manner the patient chooses at that time. 

If the patient has medical insurance contracted with Priority 1, we will submit the claim to insurance on behalf of the patient as usual. Once the claim is submitted to and processed through insurance, and in approximately 2 to 3 weeks following the visit, the patient should receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) notice from their insurer that tells the patient exactly, according to the terms of the patient’s health insurance coverage, how much of the health care bill is covered by insurance and how much the patient owes to the medical practice. Priority 1 will also receive a copy of the same EOB from the insurer that the patient was sent, and determine what the insurance carrier has decided is the patient’s responsibility. Once we receive the copy of the EOB notice, Priority 1 Urgent Care will notify the patient of the outstanding charges via a patient-provided email address or text message. One day after notice is sent to the patient via email or text, the payment card on file is charged and any remaining patient-responsible amount is collected at that time. The patient may request an emailed receipt, or a detailed receipt can be obtained directly from the Priority 1 Billing Office via USPS/conventional mail (the Billing Office can be reached at 1-833-212-4040). Please note, the Priority 1 Urgent Care billing statement, email, or text message, is considered notification of an impending charge against your payment card. If there is no balance due, the payment card is not charged.

If you have any questions about the Payment Card on File policy, please do not hesitate to contact us via telephone at (518) 867-8040, or by email at info@priority1urgentcare.com.

What if I have questions about or need to dispute my bill?

We will always work with you to understand if there has been a mistake and we will refund your card if we have made a billing error. We will only charge the amount that we are instructed to by your insurance carrier in the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) they send to us, in the same way that we would normally determine how much to send you a bill for in the mail. If you have any questions about your coverage, please contact your insurer upon receipt of your EOB. If you have questions about your bill, please contact our billing department at 1-833-212-4040, weekdays 9 am to 6 pm.

How can I pay my bill?

For any outstanding payments that are due, feel free to pay over the telephone by contacting our billing department at 1-833-212-4040, weekdays 9 am to 6 pm, or on-line anytime at https://priority1urgentcare.webpay.md. You can also always stop by our Western Avenue location to pay in person, or remit payment via USPS should you prefer.

 
 
 

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