Insurance Information

What Insurances do We Take?

We accept most major insurance policies. Please note that our nurse practitioners do NOT appear on insurance company lists as providers - they are automatically a provider if Dr. Serr is a provider.

Note: We are currently only accepting NEW patients who have an insurance with which we are a contracted, in-network provider. If you are an existing patient and lose your insurance, please call the office. You might have the option of being seen as a self-pay pay patient.

Aetna, Allstate - through Aetna, APWU (American Postal Workers) – through Cigna, Cigna, Delta, GEHA, Health Net, Humana, Pacific Life, Pers Choice, Pers Select, Prudent Buyer, MultiPlan, United (including Core, Choice, Nexus, Charter, Select), Highmark - through Blue Shield, Ebms – through Cigna, PHCS - PPOs YES (EPOs and HMOs – NO). We are in-network for most (but not every) PPO version of these insurance plans.

AARP (American Assoc of Retired Persons – through United) - PPOs YES (EPOs and HMOs - NO) but NOT is linked or secondary to Medicare (because we are NOT a Medicare provider).

First Health Coventry - PPOs YES (except NOT PCIP and NOT Essential StaffCARE) (EPOs and HMOs - NO).

Trans Choice Plus - NO. Patients CANNOT be seen as a self-pay patient.

Covered California through Blue Cross, Blue Shield, and HealthNet (aka “Obamacare”) - YES.

“Prime Healthcare” through Anthem Blue Cross / Keenan / Blue Shield (for SRMC employees) - NO NEW PATIENTS. For existing patients: NOT FOR PREGNANCY or SURGERY (only office gynecology). Note: We are “contracted but out-of-network”. The patient will pay a larger portion of the bill than if they see an in-network provider. NOTE: We do not do surgery at SRMC. Patients CANNOT be seen as self-pay patients.

Blue Shield - Most PPOs / EPOs - YES with exceptions as noted (HMOs - NO). We are in-network for most (but not every) BS PPO / EPO insurance plans. NOT “Prime Healthcare”. NOT Medicare Advantage / Medicare Advanta / other Medicare linked BC/BS plans. BS EPO through Dignity  (for Dignity Hospital employees) - YES, BUT “out-of-network”. The patient will pay a larger portion of the bill than if they see an in-network provider. 

Anthem Blue Cross - Most PPOs / EPOs - YES with exceptions as noted (HMOs - NO). We are in-network for most (but not every) BC EPO/PPO insurance plans. NOT “Anthem Blue Cross Medi-Cal”. NOT Medicare Advantage / Medicare Advanta / other Medicare linked BC/BS plans. See below for “Prime Healthcare through Anthem Blue Cross” for SRMC employees. Anthem BC PPO “DHMP Northstate” (for Dignity Employees) - YES.

Anthem Blue Cross: California Valued Trust - EPOs and PPOs YES. (HMOs - NO). 

“Path to Health” through Anthem Blue Cross - NO. Note: effective 2014, this was switched over to “PHP” Partnership Healthplan of CA, which we do NOT accept. Patients CANNOT be seen as a self-pay patient.

Blue Cross Aim for pregnancy - YES. Note: BCAim program was stMany patients with Blue Cross Aim were switched over to MCAP, which we do NOT accept.

Humana HMO and Kaiser HMO - NO. We are out-of-network for these HMOs. Contact the office if you wish to consider being seen as a self-pay patient.

Health Comp Prudent Buyer (employees of Shasta Community Clinic & Simpson University) - YES

Redding Rancheria Indian Health Care - LIMITED for gynecologic problems only (NOT FOR PREGNANCY) and NEEDS A REFERRAL and PRIOR AUTHORIZATION from Redding Rancheria. We need a new referral for every visit. NOTE: Services which could have been provided at Redding Rancheria (annual exams, pap smears, birth control, bladder or vaginal infections) will not be covered without a referral.

CARE Credit - NO

Essential StaffCARE (through FirstHealth) - NO. Patients CANNOT be seen a a self-pay patient.

Champ VA / CHAMPUS - (2024) Although we are contracted with Champ VA, they have not been processing / paying our claims. Until this issue can be resolved, we cannot see any patients with Champ VA insurance.

Tricare through Healthnet (formerly Tricare West / East / North / South / Standard / Tricare for Life under UHC) - (2024) We cannot currently see any patients with Tricare insurance. Although we have been contracted with Tricare for many decades - that contract expired and is in the process of being renewed. Normally, YES (EXCEPT NOT Tricare Prime Policies as below). NOTE: NEEDS A REFERRAL and PRIOR AUTHORIZATION from the primary care provider. Tricare requires a new referral and authorization for every visit, and generally will not pay for services which could have been provided by the primary care provider.

Tricare primary with Medicare secondary - Because we are NOT a Medicare provider, Tricare will not allow us to see anyone who has Tricare primary / Medicare secondary. Patients CANNOT be seen as a self-pay patient.

Tricare Prime and Tricare Prime Remote (for Active Duty Family Members) - NO. These are HMO policies and we are NOT a provider. Patients CANNOT seen as a self-pay patient.

Family PACT (green card for women’s health) - NO. Patients CANNOT be seen as a self-pay patient.

PCIP “Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan” under First Health - NO.  We are not seeing patients with this insurance. Patients CANNOT be seen as a self-pay patient. 

PHP “Partnership Health Plan of California” - NO NEW PATIENTS and NOT FOR PREGNANCY. If you are a longstanding patient of our office and your insurance changes over to PHP, please call us to discuss this. Patients with PHP CANNOT be seen as a self-pay patient. NOTE: PHP is an HMO. Every patient with PHP is assigned a primary care provider.  Our office is a specialty care (not a primary) provider.  To be seen in our office, a patient NEEDS A REFERRAL / PRIOR AUTHORIZATION  (e-raf) every 12 months from their assigned primary care provider. Note: Patients with CMSP and Blue Cross Anthem “Path to Health” were switched (as of 2014) to PHP.

Medi-Cal (as a primary or secondary insurance) and CMPS - NO. NO NEW PATIENTS and NOT FOR PREGNANCY. If you are a longstanding patient of our office and your insurance changes over to Medi-Cal, please call us to discuss this. Patients with Medi-Cal CANNOT be seen as a self-pay patient. NOTE: We can NEVER see a patient who has Tehema County Medi-Cal. NOTE: Dr. Serr is listed as a Medi-Cal provider on the Medi-Cal website, because the hospital requires a Medi-Cal contract of all doctors who work in the ER, but we are not accepting Medi-Cal at our private office. Note: Most California counties switched patients (as of 2014) from Medi-Cal to PHP, but Shasta and Tehema counties continue to operate a Medi-Cal program.

MCAP (Medi-Cal Access Program) that replaced most Blue Cross Aim policies - NO. Patients CANNOT be seen as a self-pay patient.

SELF-PAY (no insurance) - NO NEW PATIENTS. We rarely accept new patients who do not have an insurance for which we are an in-network, contracted provider. For long-standing existing patients who lose their insurance or switch to an insurance for which we are not a provider, please call the office.

NOTE: For various reasons, patients who have insurance sometimes ask a doctor if they can “not bill” the insurance, and be seen instead as self-pay patients. If a doctor is a contracted provider with the insurance company, this is illegal.

NOTE: Self-pay prices are not negotiable. Payment is due in full on the day of service. We do not do payment plans. We do not price-match.

Christian Healthcare Ministries and Medi-Share - NO NEW PATIENTS. These are not a true insurance plans. Dr. Serr has no contract with CHM or Medi-Share. They are cost-sharing programs where the Christian Church reimburses patients for part of their medical bills. Existing patients can be seen as self-pay.

Medicare - Our office is NOT a Medicare provider. NO NEW PATIENTS. Existing patients with Medicare can choose to be seen as a SELF-PAY PATIENT. Our practice has “opted-out” of Medicare, which means we are not contracted with Medicare. Neither our office (nor the patient) can submit the bill to Medicare. Please see specific insurance situations as listed below. Note: If your Primary insurance is Medicare or Medicare-linked, then any lab tests we order (Pap smear, biopsy or blood work) might, or might not, be covered by Medicare.

Medicare Primary - Our office is NOT a Medicare provider. NO NEW PATIENTS. Existing patients can be seen as a SELF-PAY PATIENT. Medicare will not pay for the visit.

Medicare Primary with other insurance Secondary - Our office is NOT a Medicare provider. NO NEW PATIENTS. Existing patients can be seen as a SELF-PAY PATIENT. We cannot bill either insurance if Medicare is a Primary. Medicare will not pay for the visit. NOTE: The patient can take a copy of our Superbill and contact her secondary insurance and ask if they will (or won’t) reimburse the patient.

Medicare “linked” or “Medicare supplement” or “Medicare alternative” policies Primary - These plans are all a form of Medicare and our office is NOT a Medicare provider. NO NEW PATIENTS. Existing patients can be seen as a SELF-PAY PATIENT. Examples include: Medicare Advantage or Medicare Advanta (by ChoiceCare , Aetna, Cigna, United Health, Health Net Pearl, Blue Cross, Blue Shield). The visit will not be covered.  If it says Medicare anywhere on the card we are still considered “opted-out”.

Medicare as a Secondary with other insurance Primary - YES. It is very rare for Medicare to be a secondary insurance, but if it truly is, then we can bill the Primary insurance. We cannot bill the Medicare secondary.  

Medicare “PART D” (hospital care-only) as a Secondary with other insurance Primary - YES. It is very rare for a patient to have Medicare coverage for “hospital only”, but if it truly is, then we can bill the Primary insurance.