Insurance

Knowing what your plan covers before you schedule care for your foot or ankle makes a real difference, especially if reconstructive surgery or a sports injury is involved.

Dr. Stephanie Tine, DPM, treats foot and ankle conditions in Fort Lauderdale, with particular focus on sports injuries and reconstructive surgery. She completed four years of podiatric medical school at Samuel Merritt University's California School of Podiatric Medicine, followed by a three year, hospital based surgical residency in foot and ankle surgery at Adventist Health White Memorial in Los Angeles, where she served as Chief Resident. Podiatric physicians are licensed to diagnose and treat conditions of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg, including surgery, and insurance plans cover visits and procedures on that basis.

What your plan actually pays depends on the kind of care you need.

Office visits and conservative care. Evaluations, shockwave therapy, and injections for foot, ankle, and joint pain are typically billed as standard outpatient visits. Most PPO and HMO plans cover these at your normal specialist copay or coinsurance, though HMO plans may require a referral from your primary care physician first.

Sports injuries. An acute sports injury, a sprained ankle, a stress fracture, a strained tendon, is usually covered the way any injury visit is covered. If the injury happened at work or during an organized event, a different claims process may apply, so it helps to mention how the injury happened when you call to confirm benefits.

Reconstructive surgery and minimally invasive bunion or hammertoe surgery. When surgery is medically necessary, most plans cover it, but nearly all require prior authorization before a surgery date is scheduled. That usually means your plan wants to see documentation that conservative treatment, such as the injections or shockwave therapy noted above, was tried first. Our office submits that authorization paperwork directly with your carrier once surgery is recommended, though the review can add a few weeks before a date is confirmed, so it helps to start the process as soon as surgery is discussed.

Coverage details vary widely, even within the same insurance company, so the most reliable way to know what you will owe is to call our Fort Lauderdale office with your insurance card in hand before your visit. Flamingo Foot & Ankle is accepting new patients, and our staff can check your specific benefits for the kind of visit you need, whether that is a first evaluation, a sports injury follow up, or a surgical consultation.

This page is general information only. It does not replace a conversation with your insurance carrier or our billing staff about your specific plan and benefits.