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Appointments
All appointments must be scheduled directly with your provider. The session length will vary, depending on the services required. If an appointment must be cancelled, 48-hour advance notice is required (excluding weekends and holidays). Missed appointments and cancellations that occur without 48-hour notice will be charged to you unless there are exceptional circumstances involved.
Payment and Billing
Professional fees are based upon the type of session and the duration of the session. Sessions and fees will be discussed with you at the start of treatment. Payment is expected at the end of each session by check. Our policy is to maintain a current credit card on file so that payments may still be processed if they are delayed beyond one month of a billing cycle.
The Therapeutic Center for Children and Families does not participate with any insurance plans. However, our experience has been that most insurance plans have an out-of-network mental health component that will reimburse you directly. As you know, these benefits and reimbursements vary greatly by insurance company and further by each plan. Because the practice is not contracted with any insurance plans, you are responsible to know your benefits and authorization requirements, and to follow up regarding payment. Payment for services provided by your practitioner is not contingent upon third party reimbursement.
A monthly statement will be mailed to you for submission to your insurance plan. The statement includes all of the information your insurance company requires for processing. Unless it is decided otherwise, we suggest that if you use the HCFA claim form, do not sign box 13 authorizing payment directly to the practice, as it is important for you to be aware of how your benefits are administered. If your insurance plan requires additional documentation, we will be glad to provide the requested information, within reason. However, please keep in mind that we cannot accept responsibility for collecting your claim or for negotiating a settlement on a disputed claim. If, at any time, financial difficulties present a problem in keeping your account current, please discuss your situation with your provider immediately.
For billing or administrative questions, please call Jan Jepsen directly at extension 713.
Our Westport office has often been confused with the Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County in Norwalk because of Dr. Lustbader’s role as Medical Director at the Center. The Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County and The Therapeutic Center for Children and Families are separate business entities. The Child Guidance Center participates as a contracted facility for many insurance networks, however these affiliations do not apply to The Therapeutic Center for Children and Families.
Medication Prescription and Refills
Patients need to contact their prescriber regarding the name, address, telephone, and fax numbers of the pharmacy where they fill prescriptions. Medication refills, when needed, should be initiated by patients with their pharmacy and/or prescriber at least 72 – 96 hours in advance, in order to leave adequate time for the prescription to be refilled. Please be aware that mail order prescription refills may take two or more weeks.
Special attention is required in filling prescriptions for stimulant medications since a new written prescription is required by law for each monthly dispensing of these medications, such as Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, Focalin, Dexedrine, and the long-acting and generic equivalents. Pharmacies cannot accept telephone orders or faxed orders for these medications. Therefore, it is recommended to notify the prescriber a week in advance in order to allow time for the mailing of prescriptions and possible delays.
Because of insurance requirements, certain medications may require pre-authorization in order to be filled if the medication is not on a “formulary” of approved medications for that insurance plan. Patients should allow ample time and notify the pharmacy and prescriber immediately if they are aware of an issue, since it can take many days for the approval process to be completed.
Phone Calls
All phone calls and messages are responded to as quickly as possible. If we are not personally available, the confidential voicemail system will take your call. Please check with your provider regarding when his or her voicemail box messages are checked. Be sure to always leave your phone number(s) and convenient times when you can be reached. Non-urgent calls may be returned during the evening hours but also leave a daytime phone number. Please be aware that extensive phone conversations may be billed as pro-rated sessions.
Confidentiality
The medical records of our clients are highly confidential. Information contained in the records will not be released without proper consent. When treating a child or adolescent, parents are kept informed of the general progress of treatment, but specific and personal information is kept confidential. In the case of a divorce situation where medical custody is shared, consent and authorization regarding disclosure of any information is required from both parents.
Urgent Matters
In the event of an urgent psychiatric matter that cannot wait until the next business day, please follow the instructions on your clinician’s voicemail.
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