Policies and Payment
Payment
I am in-network with BCBS, United/Optum, Cigna, and Medicare! I am still awaiting insurance paneling with Aetna and I am also accepting self/private pay clients. I know that it can be difficult as a client to pay out of pocket for healthcare services when you already pay for health insurance. I do not have a date or timeline quite yet for when I will be in-network with Aetna, but hopefully it will be soon.
In the meantime, I will be happy to provide anyone wishing to use out-of-network insurance benefits with a detailed Superbill that you can submit to your health insurance company for possible reimbursement. Benefits for out-of-network services vary and may be subject to deductibles, so please check with your insurance company if you have questions. Please click here for guidance on getting this type of information from your insurance company. It can be very confusing to understand your benefits and I will try to assist you the best I can.
I believe it takes more than a 10 minute check-in to provide excellent, heart-felt and patient-centered care, so the length of my visits reflects that.
New Patient Visits include a 60-90 minute initial psychiatric evaluation, which includes request & review of prior medical/mental health records & care coordination with PCP/therapist/dietician as appropriate.
Follow up visits range from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the specific needs of the client.
For questions about my self-pay rates, please contact my office.
Cancellation Policy
We require at least 24 hours notice (not including weekends) if you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment and if you do not provide at least 24 hours notice you will be responsible for a late cancellation fee of $200 for new patient appointments and $100 for follow up appointments. If you cannot make your scheduled appointment for any reason, please use the online booking link or call the office to reschedule.
This policy helps us ensure that any clients on the waiting list can make a timely appointment and allows us to continue offering the highest levels of care.
Controlled Medication Policy
The safety and care of our clients is our number one priority!
A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, or use is regulated by a government, such as illicitly used drugs or prescription medications that are designated by law. Some medications that may be used to treat ADHD, Anxiety/Panic Attacks, and Insomnia are drugs that are considered controlled substances. These medications can be a very effective part of someone's treatment plan, but they are also higher risk medications and they are not appropriate for everyone.
Controlled substances are prescribed judiciously in this practice in an effort to keep you safe and to ensure that the potential benefits of a given treatment/medication outweigh the potential risks, based on a client's individual factors including medical/mental health history and their current diagnoses. These medications are highly regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Our prescribing of such medications is monitored, and the person prescribing the medication is held accountable for their prescribing practices. State laws require that additional measures be taken when prescribing controlled substances. We want our clients to know how seriously we take the prescribing of these types of medications.
If you come to our practice already on controlled substances from another provider, that does not mean that we will automatically continue these same or even similar medications and it does not mean that we will continue the dosage prescribed by your previous provider. Our provider reserves the right to complete her own assessment and make treatment recommendations based on her professional judgment. Our practice does not prescribe exceedingly high doses of controlled substances and we are not obliged to assume such high dosages from other providers. If it is felt that such a medication could benefit you, you will be tapered down to a dose that is considered safe/more appropriate or placed on another alternative medication that may not be a controlled substance.
Note: As a policy, we do not prescribe benzodiazepines (Xanax/Ativan/Klonopin) for patients to take every day or to take most days for the long-term control of anxiety or panic attacks. When prescribing stimulant medications to treat ADHD, we generally prefer to use extended release or long-acting formulations rather than immediate release or short-acting formulations of stimulants.
In-Person Policy
Please be aware that while there have been exceptions made during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal law does require periodic in-person visits when controlled medications are prescribed. Additionally, telehealth/virtual visits are not appropriate for every patient. If we do not believe that we can provide the highest quality care through virtual visits, we will let you know and offer you an in-person option for your next visit.