General Questions
When are my baby’s shots due?
CDC Calendars:
Birth-6 years; 7-18 years; Catch-up
Nacimiento-6 años; 7-18 años; Actualización
Here, at Happy Kids Pediatrics, we abide by a national immunization schedule, which may change on a yearly basis. Currently, the schedule for physicals and immunizations is as follows:
- Birth (in hospital): Hep B#1
- 2-4 Days: We follow up with the newborn in the office with a physical called, EPSDT (Early Periodical Screening Developmental Tool). During the visit, the parents are also given a lab slip for the baby’s 2nd newborn screening.
- 1 Month EPSDT: No shots given
- 2 Month EPSDT: DTAP #1, HEP B #2, HIB #1, IPV #1, PCV #1, ROTAVIRUS #1
- 4 Month EPSDT: DTAP #2, HIB #2, IPV #2, PCV #2, ROTAVIRUS #2
- 6 Month EPSDT: DTAP #3, HEP B #3, HIB #3, IPV #3, PCV #3, ROTAVIRUS #3
- 9 Month EPSDT: UNLESS THE CHILD IS BEHIND SCHEDULE, NO VACCINE SHOULD BE GIVEN AT THIS TIME
- 12 Month EPSDT: MMR#1, VARVAX #1, HEP A #1, PPD (skin test for TB). At this time a lab slip is also given to parents for H&H (anemia) and PB (lead) screening.
- 15 Month EPSDT: DTAP #4, HIB#4 (currently not given due to a nationwide shortage), PCV # 4
- 18 Month EPSDT: HEP A #2
- 24 MONTHS EPSDT: UNLESS THE CHILD IS BEHIND SCHEDULE, NO VACCINE SHOULD BE GIVEN AT THIS TIME. At this time a lab slip will be given to parents for H&H (anemia) and PB (lead) screening.
- 36 Month EPSDT: UNLESS THE CHILD IS BEHIND SCHEDULE, NO VACCINE SHOULD BE GIVEN AT THIS TIME. Lab slip will also give to parents for CBC (Complete blood count), PB, and UA w/Reflex (urinalysis).
- 48 Month EPSDT: DTAP #5, IPV #4, MMR #2, VARVAX #2 + LABS
- 5 -8 Year EPSDT: Child should be seen once a year, unless behind schedule on any vaccination.
- 9 Year EPSDT: UNLESS THE CHILD IS BEHIND SCHEDULE NO VACCINE SHOULD BE GIVEN AT THIS TIME.
Females, age 9 and older, are eligible to receive the HPV (cervical cancer) vaccine, but it is not required. It is a series of three vaccines. Dose two is given two months after the initial dose. Dose three gives six months after the second.
- 10 Year EPSDT: TDAP#1 + any necessary labs
- 11 Year EPSDT: MCV(4) + any necessary labs
- 12 TO 18 YEARS EPSDT: UNLESS THE CHILD IS BEHIND SCHEDULE NO VACCINE SHOULD BE GIVEN AT THIS TIME. Any necessary labs.
NOTE: Some vaccines may be combined into one vaccine, for example, DTAP+HIB+IPV=PENTACEL, DTAP+HEP B+IPV=PEDIARIX, HEP B+HIB=COMVAX, MMR+VARVAX=MMRV, DTAP+IPV=KINRIX
When can my baby begin eating solids and what kind can he/she eat? Is it okay to give my baby egg yolk?
You may begin giving your child plain cereal at 6 months of age. Beginning earlier may increase your child’s chance of developing food allergies as they get older.
At 7 months of age you can begin giving your child baby food. You should begin with yellow and orange vegetables, followed by green vegetables, and then fruit. At 8 months of age you may start giving your child plain meats. Introduce only one new food item every three days or so, to watch for any allergic reactions.
Samples:
Cereal: rice, barley, oatmeal
Vegetables: cooked carrots, baked sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, peas, yams, squash
Fruits: pears, banana, applesauce
Meats: lamb, liver, veal
Foods to avoid until your child is at least 12 months of age:
Corn, whole wheat, citrus fruits and juices, pineapple, peaches, honey, strawberries, peanuts, fish, egg whites (yolk can be given at 7 months of age), chocolate, tomatoes.
At what age can my baby drink plain water?
Water may be given after 2 months of age. No more than 4oz. of water should be given at any one time. Although water may be given, it is important to keep in mind that water is not beneficial for the health of a baby. The child will receive adequate fluids through their formula or breast milk. It is important to not replace vital meals with water, as the child may become full and not have an appetite for their meal. Water is not recommended unless a baby is ill and has diarrhea or vomiting, to prevent dehydration. However, electrolyte supplements, such as Pedialite, are better alternatives.
How high does my child’s temperature have to be to be considered a fever?
Temperature may vary depending on the method taken. Your child may have a fever if as follows:
- Rectal temperature is over 100.4ºF
- Oral temperature is over 99.5ºF
- Axillary (armpit) temperature is over 99.0ºF
- Tympanic (ear) temperature is over 100.4ºF
How do I treat a fever?
All fever should be treated with extra fluids. If your child is older than 2 months of age, they can be given acetaminophen or ibuprofen products. Follow label instructions and call our office with any questions. All aspirin products should be completely avoided.
Call our office immediately if your child is less than 3 months of age, has a fever of 100.5ºF, or if your child looks or acts very ill.
Call within 24 hours if your child is 3 to 6 months old, if the fever is between 100.4ºF to 100.5ºF, especially if the child is less than 2 years of age, if your child has had a fever for more than 24 hours, or if your child’s fever diminished and then returned.
What are the recommendations for car seat safety?
Proper use of car seats is essential to keep your child safe while riding in a vehicle. The type of seat your child uses depends on several factors, such as age and size.
Infants that are less than a year old and less than 20 pounds should sit in rear facing, infant only car seat. Toddlers over the age of 1 and at least 20 pounds can ride in a forward facing seat, but it is best that they ride rear facing as long as it is comfortable for them. School aged children who have outgrown their forward facing car seats should sit in a booster seat until the adult seat belt fits correctly or until they are about 4’9′. All children under the age of 13 should ALWAYS ride in the back seat.
When picking a cars seat, do your research. Make sure the car seat is the appropriate type and size for your child. If you will be using a used car seat make sure that you know the seats history. Make sure you never use a car seat that:
- Is too old
- Has visible damage, such as cracks or dents
- Does not have instructions for proper use
- No longer has the manufacturers label
- Is missing any pieces
At what age can my infant drink whole milk?
Babies under the age of 12 months should not be given whole milk.
What is the recommended bedtime for each age group?
What matters more than bedtime, is the amount of sleep that your child gets. A crucial part of making sure your child is getting adequate sleep is having your child on a very consistent bedtime routine and schedule.
What can I give my child for a cold?
First, if you are not sure what your child has, they should be seen in the office by one of our doctors. You never want to self-diagnose. If your child is suffering from a cold, you can expect it to last about 10 days or so. Viruses cause colds; therefore, antibiotics will not work to ward off the illness.
Recommendations are to use a saline nose spray to help thin mucus. A cold mist humidifier will also help with congestion. Children’s ibuprofen or acetaminophen products should be given as directed to control fevers.
Note: Over-the-counter cough syrups are not recommended for children under the age of 6. Also, stay away from aspirin-containing products.
Billing Questions
Welcome to the Commonly Asked Billing Questions page for Happy Kids Pediatrics.
If you find that your questions are not answered, please contact Ventecgroup by telephone at (480) 897-1175, or through email at Billing@Ventecgroup.com.
I have applied for AHCCCS insurance coverage but have not received my medical insurance card. Can I still make an appointment?
We recognize that there are sometimes delays in securing the AHCCSS medical insurance card. However, once you have filed your paperwork and secured the AHCCCS patient identification number, you are eligible to schedule an appointment with Happy Kids Pediatrics.
Why did I get a bill from Happy Kids Pediatrics?
We only send statements out to parents/guardians when we believe a balance is outstanding. We do not send out “Information Only” statements. There are two common reasons you would receive a bill from our offices; you owe a balance on your child’s account or you need to act for your insurance to process your child’s claim.
If you owe a balance, the statement will indicate which date(s) of service the balance is for. There are many reasons you may owe a balance including, but not limited to, copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, non-covered services, etc. The exact reason your insurance company did not pay for a service can usually be found on the Explanation of Benefits (sometimes referred to as an EOB) you receive from your insurance company. In some cases, it may be necessary for you to call your insurance company for clarification. Please keep in mind that our office is bound by our contract with your insurance company to collect any balance the insurance company states is your responsibility.
A common example of when you need to take action in order for your insurance to process a claim would be when the insurance company requires an update to your “other insurance” (also referred to as “Coordination of Benefits” or “COB”) information. Typically, you can provide this information over the phone by calling the customer service number on your health insurance ID card.
Did you bill this to my insurance?
There are many potential variables involved in the billing process. The short answer is that we file all claims to the insurance company on file at the time of the visit. Therefore, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you provide us with accurate insurance information for your child at every visit. Most insurance companies have strict timely filing guidelines for claim submission. If a claim is denied due to being past the timely filing deadline AND filing was delayed because the correct insurance information was not provided to our office at the time of the visit, you may be held responsible for payment.
If we have valid and accurate information on file, we will file the claim to your insurance. In fact, our insurance contracts require that the claim be filed by our office. The only time a claim would not be filed to insurance is when we do not have any valid insurance information on file (i.e. you do not have coverage or have not given us a copy of the insurance card). Please communicate any changes in your child’s insurance coverage to us immediately.
I received a letter from my insurance asking me for my "Other Insurance Information". My child is only covered by this insurance policy. Should I just ignore this notice?
We strongly suggest that you do not ignore this important letter. Even though you may not have any other insurance, you still need to call your insurance company at the customer service phone number listed on your insurance card. This is also true if you just gave the updated information to your insurance, and they are asking again. When you call, please request that they reprocess all outstanding claims after your information is updated. We have seen cases where the insurance company only reprocesses one claim and leaves others unpaid. Remember that if the insurance company denied the claim pending receipt of this information, they already have the claim in their system. Therefore, it is not necessary for our office to refile the claim. In fact, refiling the claim usually results in the claim being denied as a duplicate submission. If you repeatedly have this problem with your insurance, we suggest discussing the problem with a supervisor at the insurance company and your employer’s Human Resources department, if applicable.
The doctor was only in the room for a few minutes. Why did my child’s office visit cost so much?
Medical office visits are not typically billed on a time basis. The level of service billed is determined by three key factors: history, examination, and medical decision making. We carefully utilize national averages that are adjusted to this geographical area to determine the fees for our services.
What should I do if I cannot pay my entire balance now?
If you ever find yourself unable to pay your child’s balance in full, we simply ask that you communicate this to our billing office in a timely manner. We are happy to set up an acceptable payment plan to assist you in resolving the balance as quickly and comfortably as possible.
Who should I speak to if I have a question about my bill?
If you have any questions about your bill or outstanding balance, you can contact our office for further explanation. You can speak with our billing office at 480) 897-1175 or email our billing staff at Billing@Ventecgroup.com. The billing office is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
What types of payment are accepted at Happy Kids Pediatrics?
We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. You can also use your check card if it has a Visa or MasterCard logo. Payments can be made in person, by mail, or by phone if using a credit card.
CONTACT US
Happy Kids Corporate Offices
1345 E. Main St. #201
Mesa, AZ. 85203
P: (480) 889-0081
F: (480) 889-0088
