FAQ's
What is your policy on payment?
Payment is expected at the time of your appointment. Only cash payments are accepted for insurance copays or from individuals who do not have insurance. Please be sure to check your healthcare coverage before making an appointment (if there is a yearly deductible, this will have to be met before your insurance will start to pay). We accept insurance payments only for initial evaluation or medication follow-up visits with short-CBT, provided that if you have met your yearly deductible.
A “NEW PATIENT” PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION IS REQUIRED IF A PATIENT HAS NOT HAD A FOLLOW-UP FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR
Most insurance plans that are accepted at Elite Behavioral Medicine WILL cover telepsychiatry services /video sessions appointments. Please contact our office directly at 706-410-1033 or via email info@elitebehavioralmed.com to verify coverage.For those without insurance coverage here, we offer competitive self-pay rate.
What is YOUR cancellation policy?
If you fail to cancel your appointment 48 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment and you do not show up for your session, you will be required to pay the full fee for your missed session.
What is the medication refill policy?
Prescriptions will be called in only for current clients. In general, medication management issues should be addressed during regularly scheduled appointments. For medication management appointments (once monthly or less frequently), when an appointment is postponed, it is possible that only one week of medication will be called in. If a client continues to postpone appointments, I retain the discretion to provide refills only after the client is seen in a follow up session. Also, please be advised that controlled substances such as stimulants cannot be called into the pharmacy.
How do you handle phone calls?
I am not always immediately available by telephone. When I am unavailable, my telephone will be answered by voicemail. I will make every effort to return your call within 48 hours, with the exception of weekends and holidays. If you are unable to reach me in case of an emergency and feel that you cannot wait for me to return your phone call, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room and ask for the psychiatrist on call. Please be sure to leave me a message about the emergency. If I will be unavailable for an extended time such as going on vacation or a conference, I will let you know in advance. Feel free to email me anytime and I will respond accordingly.
What is YOUR confidentiality POLICY?
Your patient records and content of sessions are strictly confidential. For this reason, no information concerning you as a patient is released without your written consent (an exception is limited information sent to other doctors or your pharmacist). Disclosure of information to anyone such as an attorney and/or a family member must be requested by written authorization by the patient. In an emergency situation when you, the patient, are at imminent risk of death or serious medical consequence, I will release minimal, critically relevant information to assist in preventing dire medical consequences that may result if that relevant information is not released. In case of a minor, their legal guardian must sign the authorization. In cases where a patient may be a danger to themselves or others, in cases of suspected of child or elder abuse, in cases where a patient may be incapable of taking care of themselves, or certain legal proceedings when required by a judicial subpoena, the physician is legally bound to break doctor-patient confidentiality.