Price Transparency and Patient Billing

We want you to know what your care will cost before you receive it. This page explains how our billing works and how to get an estimate.

How Our Billing Works

We bill for the professional services Dr. Patel provides: office visits, consultations, in-office testing, and the interpretation of those tests.

Some care happens outside our offices. A cardiac catheterization or a procedure performed at a hospital or surgery center generates a separate bill from that facility, in addition to ours. Those are different organizations with their own billing departments, their own insurance contracts, and their own financial policies. If you have a question about a bill from a facility, contact that facility directly.

Your final cost depends on what your visit involves: which tests are performed, what those tests find, and what your insurance plan covers.

Requesting an Estimate Before Treatment

You have the right to know what your care is likely to cost before you agree to it. How that works depends on whether you are using insurance.

If You Have Insurance

Under Texas Senate Bill 1731, you may request an estimate of what you will be charged for a service. We will respond within 10 business days of your request.

To make the request as accurate as possible, include the specific procedure codes (CPT codes) if you have them. Your referring physician or our office can help you identify them.

If You Are Uninsured or Paying Yourself

Under the federal No Surprises Act, you are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate of what your care will cost. Ask us for one when you schedule, or any time before your visit, and we will provide it in writing.

An estimate is not a bill, and it is not a guarantee. If your care turns out to require more than was expected, the final charge can differ. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you may be able to dispute it through the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process.

How to Request One

Put your request in writing to our office:

• Email: dr@drpatelcardiology.com
• Clear Lake City: (832) 632-1764
• Texas City: (409) 945-5444

Insurance

We accept most major plans. The full list is on the insurance section of our homepage . Call the office if you do not see your plan there. Networks change, and a plan name on the list does not guarantee every product under it is in network.

Whether a specific service is covered, and how much of it, is determined by your plan rather than by us. We can tell you what we will bill. Your insurer tells you what they will pay.

Questions About a Bill

If you do not understand a charge, ask us. You have the right to an itemized bill you can read and to have any charge on it explained.

• Email: dr@drpatelcardiology.com
• Clear Lake City: (832) 632-1764
• Texas City: (409) 945-5444

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.