Patients are seen by appointment only. We will do our best to schedule a time that is convenient for you. If you cannot keep your appointment, we require that you call the office two business days in advance so that we may offer another patient the opportunity to use that time. Appointments that are not cancelled in advance often result in wasted professional time and will be billed at 50% of the usual professional charge. These charges are not paid for by insurance companies.
Office hours are Monday - Friday from 8:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Our physicians may be reached for urgent telephone calls after office hours and on weekends. Please call your physician's voicemail box at our office and follow the instructions. If you have a life-threatening emergency, please go to the nearest hospital Emergency Room or call 911.
It is important that open communication and trust exist between patient and physician/clinician. We encourage you to let us know if you have any questions, concerns or comments.
top
The patient's psychiatric medical record is confidential and information will not be released to attorneys, physicians or others without written consent by the patient or patient's guardian. When providing psychiatric services to a child or adolescent, we will keep parents or guardians informed as to the general progress of treatment. Personal information given to us by a minor is kept confidential. When we believe that certain information relating to treatment decisions or safety must be passed on to parents or guardians, we will first discuss this with the young person.
top
We often rely on the telephone to stay in contact with our patients. Non-emergency telephone messages may be left in the receptionist's or your physician's/clinician's voice mailbox. We will return your call as soon as possible. There is no charge for brief calls (less than 5 minutes). Calls of longer duration will be billed at the usual professional rate. Please understand that health insurance companies usually do not pay for telephone calls, but are provided as a convenience to you in your care.
top
To make a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, it is essential that we be informed of all medications that you are presently taking. For this reason, please bring all of your medication bottles or a list of all medications (both prescribed and over the counter, including vitamins and supplements from health food stores) to the first appointment. If we have prescribed medication and you need a refill, please have your pharmacy fax the request to our office. Patients with prescribed medications controlled by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (such as stimulants) must be seen in the office at least every three months. Refills for controlled medications must be hand written and cannot be called or faxed to your pharmacy. Therefore, for refills on controlled medications, please call our office and leave a voice message on the prescription refill line. In your message, please leave the following information:
- Your name and patient's name
- Your phone number
- Medication requested for refill, including name, dosage, and current directions you are following
- Whether you plan to pick up the prescription at our office or have us mail it to you
- Your mailing address
We will attempt to process your request within two business days.
top
Fees for service are generally based upon the length of time of each session. We use the Resource Based Relative Value Scale published by the federal government to determine fees. Additional charges will be billed for professional services, such as computer-aided neuropsyciatric tests, school consultations, medical and/or school reports, discussions with attorneys and court testimony. We are pleased to discuss our fee structure more fully upon your request.
top
While many insurance companies reimburse for psychiatric services, payment of the bill is the responsibility of the patient or the patient's guardian. As a convenience, we bill most insurance companies. Health insurance usually pays only a portion of psychiatric treatment costs. Please be aware of the psychiatric benefits of your health insurance plan. For some insurance companies we are "out of network physicians". We do not participate in Medicare or Medicaid. Inform us immediately if a psychiatric problem is part of a Workman's Compensation or accident claim or is related to legal requirements.
Payment for your first appointment is expected at the time of service. A bill for your remaining account balance is mailed by the 20th of each month with payment due by the 10th of the following month. Co-payments are due at the time of visit. If we are not billing your insurance company, payment in full is due at the time of your office visit unless other arrangements have been made with the accounts receivable department. If you are reimbursed directly by your insurance company, payment is due at time of service. Balances left unpaid over 90 days from the date of service may be assessed a 1.5% rebilling/past due account fee per month (minimum $5.00).
For your convenience, we accept VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. For any questions regarding your account, please contact Denise at our office. Arrangements can be made for a special payment plan if necessary.
There will be a charge for all appointments not cancelled with at least 24 hours notice.