Please read some important office policies below before scheduling.
1. WE DO NOT PERFORM TELEPHONE REFILLS. You need to keep your scheduled appointments in order for me to provide you with medication-based treatment.
2. WE DO NOT PRESCRIBE SOME TYPES OF CONTROL MEDICATIONS. Medications we typically do not prescribe are Methadone, Opiates such as Hydrocodone (Percocets), Oxycodone, some benzodiazepines like Xanax, Valium, Ativan, and some amphetamine stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall. ADHD treatment will only be prescribed after all other illnesses have been stabilized through the course of treatment.
3. If you are having a life and death crisis, please call 911 as soon as possible. If you are having a drug reaction, please call me so that I can intervene.
4. We accept certain insurance companies such as AETNA, BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD, CIGNA, HUMANA, MEDICARE, OPTUM UNITED HEALTH, BEACON, TRICARE, VALUE OPTIONS. Other insurance plans are soon to come. Deductible and Co-Payments must be paid at the time of the visit. In order to bill insurance, they require a lot of information that is included in our new patient forms. Please complete these prior to your appointment to reduce the time you are in the office.
5. We may require you to pay a retainer fee of $50 dollars prior to your initial visit. This would be applied to no show/cancelation fee in the event you fail to keep your appointment. If you show up to your appointment, this money will be credited on your account and go toward any copays or deductibles
6. IF YOU MISSED AN APPOINTMENT OR DO NOT CANCEL with 24 hours notice, you will be charged a $50 fee. Missed appointments are not compensated by insurance companies and must be paid by the patient prior to the next office visit. A second missed appointment without 24-hour notification may result in the closure of your record.
7. I do not perform supportive therapy, psychotherapy, or any treatment over the phone. However, medications alone may not be the only source to help your recovery. Therapy done by trained individuals may speed up your recovery and minimize the recurrence of your behavior.
8. Portal Messages/Email is always the best and fastest way to get an answer from me. We do not do treatment over the phone as the telephone does not provide the quality of care that I demand for you with your problem. However, telemedicine (video chat appointments) may be available if the patient is unable to get to the office and needs a visit.
9. If you are not satisfied with our care, you have the right to choose another physician, and we will give you 30 days’ notice along with medication so you can be happy in finding another treatment facility.
10. Please plan two to three hours for the first visit since it will include a urine drug screen, vital signs, blood laboratory request and state of the art computer neuropsychiatric screening, and the evaluation by the psychiatrist. WE DON’T RUSH PATIENTS, especially on your first visit.
11. Please be kind to the front office and accounting personnel. They are working very hard to help you with your concerns by navigating any administrative obstacles you may face, including working with your insurance company and answering prescription questions from a pharmacy. Please don’t harass them or yell at them if I am spending extra time with a patient. We understand that you may already be stressed, so please plan ahead by having a flexible schedule to minimize any extra stress caused by conflict. I DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THIS NEW CONCEPT OF CONCIERGE MEDICINE.
12. Requests for medical records are handled via fax or e-mail only. Our system is maintained by a HIPAA compliant server to protect your records. You must sign a consent form before we can send any records or information.
13. The completion of disability, school, or work-related forms and documents must be done in person and is billed as an office visit. These evaluations are not covered by insurance companies and necessitate information about other elements of your condition, which requires tedious paperwork.
14. I will always require a copy of your driver’s license to verify your identity as part of HIPPA regulations. We need your most updated insurance card in order for us to obtain payment for your treatment. It is your responsibility to inform us of any changes in employment, phone number, or address.
15. We treat pain killer addiction without the need of hospitalization. WE DO NOT PRESCRIBE METHADONE OR ANY OTHER NARCOTIC DRUGS. However, I can successfully take you off the narcotics that are no longer effective for your pain. This is done with new treatment modalities such as BUPERNORHPRINE, also known as Suboxone. You will need an initial evaluation that is usually covered by most insurance companies. However, the second visit that consists of SUBOXONE INDUCTION is not covered by insurance. Follow up treatment is usually covered by insurance companies for suboxone detox and maintenance.
16. We perform a Urine Drug Screen on new patients, suboxone patients, and randomly on patients that are prescribed other control medications. Unfortunately, not all insurance will pay for it, and therefore you will be responsible for the payments of the test(s).
