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The Healthcare Reform Act allows patients to access routine preventive care through their insurance carrier without any deductibles or copays. It is important to note that what can be done during a preventive care exam is very specific. When your provider addresses any issues during this visit that do not qualify as “preventive,” your insurance company requires us to document the problem and treatment. Most times this will mean that you will need to pay a copay or deductible for the visit. We encourage parents to understand what your insurance policy covers before any preventive care visits.
Vision Screening
We test children ages 6 months and older for eye problems such as optic nerve disorders, severe refractive errors, decreased vision and other eye conditions, using a Welch Allyn Vison Screener. This test is painless, non-invasive, and doesn’t require sedation or dilation.
Autism Screening
At your child’s 18-month visit, we will ask you to complete the M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism) questionnaire. This screening was developed by the University of Connecticut and is recognized as a tool to identify children with uutism. The test does not provide a diagnosis, however it can help us identify if your child may be at risk and recommend further evaluation.
We will also conduct an autism screening at your child’s 24-month visit.
We’ll ask you to complete the form while you’re waiting so we can score the test and your provider can review it during your child’s visit. In some cases, this test may also point to other developmental issues that do not fit into the autism spectrum.
Teen Screening for Depression and Drug/Alcohol Abuse
The teenage years are an important period in your child’s life. Pediatric providers are in a unique position to screen our teen patients about drinking, drugs and depression. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly encourages providers to discuss these difficult teen issues during annual preventive care visits. At this visit, your teenage child will be asked to complete two evidence-based questionnaires. To maximize the questionnaire’s effectiveness, the discussion will remain confidential between your child’s provider and your child and is administered in private. (HIPAA Privacy Law/children ages 13 and older).
We appreciate your cooperation in this matter. If you disagree with this policy, please let our staff know at the beginning of the visit.
ImPACT Testing
Ridgefield Pediatrics uses an innovative program to diagnose and manage concussions for our patients ages10 and older using a software tool called ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing). This program is being used across the country to successfully diagnose and manage concussions in children ages 10 to 21.
Once the baseline test is completed and reviewed, we will keep the results in your child’s chart. If your child has a concussion at a later date, we will compare the baseline test with a post-injury test to understand the severity of the head injury and determine when the injury is fully healed.