Other Information, Policies, Terms, and Conditions

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Fees/Insurance

If we are currently a provider in your health care plan’s network, we have agreed to accept the fee schedule set by your plan and will handle the insurance billing as a courtesy. Please be aware that you may have a co-payment for each visit and/or a yearly deductible. There may also be a yearly maximum on either the number of visits or the amount paid for psychiatric services.

 

If you do not have insurance coverage, or have an insurance plan for which we are not in network, you will be charged in full for services provided. If you have out-of-network benefits, you may be eligible for reimbursement directly from your insurance company. In some cases, our billing staff may be able to submit an out-of-network insurance claim on your behalf as a courtesy. At the very least, we can provide you with an invoice that may be used to file a claim yourself. Feel free to ask any questions you may have about filing out-of-network claims.

 

Fees for non-covered services may be applicable in some circumstances (see Cancellations and Missed Appointments and Requests for Paperwork below).

 

You will be responsible for all charges that are not covered by your health insurance, even in the event that your insurance company does not pay as you or we anticipated. We recommend that you check your health insurance coverage for outpatient mental health care and review your coverage regularly and with any change in status (e.g. employment change of the primary insurance holder, change in student or marital status, aging out of coverage through parents). It is your responsibility to communicate any changes in your health insurance coverage to us in a timely manner to avoid insurance non-payment due to late filing of claims. We will help you as best we can, but your insurance company or employer is the best source for information for matters pertaining to coverage.

 

Payments

Payments (including insurance copays and full charges for visits when not using insurance for which we are in-network) are due at the time of the appointment and may be made by cash, check, or credit/debit card. There is a $5 processing fee for not having your payment at the time of the visit, a $30 fee for checks returned for insufficient funds, and a 1.5% per month interest charge on balances greater than 60 days past due. To avoid penalties for late payment, we encourage patients to keep a valid credit or debit card on file with us.

 

Cancellations and Missed Appointments

There is no charge if you cancel an appointment at least 24 hours in advance. There is a $25 fee for each Late Cancellation (canceling an appointment with less than 24 hours notice), and a $75 fee for each Missed Appointment (failure to show up for an in-person appointment, failure to answer the phone for a telephone appointment, or being unavailable through our video portal for a video appointment). These fees are not usually covered by insurance.

 

Arriving Late

If you present late for an appointment, we will generally make a reasonable attempt to keep the appointment, but priority will be given to patients who are on time, and you may be billed for a Missed Appointment if we end up unable to connect after your late arrival.

 

Phone Calls and Messages

When responding to your phone message, we may call you back at the number you called from or the number that we have listed for you in our computer system. If you do not want us to leave a return voicemail message for privacy reasons at either of these numbers, please indicate so on your message.

 

Routine calls for clarification, scheduling, refills, and other simple matters will generally be brief and made as a courtesy. However, if a phone call with one of our providers involves clinical assessment, discussion of treatment options, psychotherapy, and/or medical decision-making, it is likely that the call will be considered a clinical visit and may generate usual fees. Be aware that insurance companies may not cover telephone visits, in which case you may be fully responsible for charges related to such calls. If you are concerned about the possibility of being charged for a telephone visit, please discuss this with your provider at the start of the call or request an appointment in person or via our video platform

 

SMS - Terms and Conditions

With your permission via an opt-in, we may communicate with you via SMS (texting) for non-clinical issues such as appointment reminders, weather-related closures, or account notifications. SMS is not considered fully secure. By opting in to SMS from a web-based form or other medium, you are agreeing to receive SMS messages from Integral Health Associates. Message frequency may vary, and message and data rates may apply. Per our privacy policy, we do not sell or give out your opt-in status for marketing purposes. Once opted-in, you may reply STOP to any message to opt out, or message HELP for help regarding our SMS texting opt-in or opt-out process.

 

Communicating by SMS/Email is Not Fully Secure

At this time, we do not subscribe to an encrypted, fully secure two-way text messaging or email system. Thus, other than in limited situations (e.g. SMS notifications above, receiving non-sensitive documents by our form submission email if you choose to send them this way), we do not normally monitor or respond to text or email messages. Preferred methods of communication are in-person, video, telephone, fax, or regular mail.

 

Requests for Paperwork

We will generally handle all routine paperwork directly related to provision of your clinical care. For special requests such as preparation of documents related to disability, there may be a charge for time spent. Please be advised that in general, we do not provide disability forms or medico-legal statements until we have made a full objective assessment, a process that may take more than one visit.

 

Prescriptions

If we prescribe medication to you, it is important that you do not change your dose or stop taking your medication without discussion with us ahead of time. Please contact us if you are considering making a change. Also, please monitor your supply and call us at least one week before running our of medication, or three weeks before running out if you are using a mail-order pharmacy. Although we generally try to respond to pharmacy “auto-refill” requests, these may not always accurately reflect your actual supply of medications.

 

Medications can sometimes pose serious risks in certain combinations or in pregnancy. It is very important that you inform your prescribing clinicians if there is any change in your medications or if you are considering pregnancy or become pregnant.

 

Emergencies

In the event of a mental health emergency, please contact us or go to a nearby emergency room. Mental illness can sometimes cause impaired judgment and/or thoughts of hurting oneself or someone else. In these cases, it is extremely important for you to get the help you need. In some cases, as with other medical illnesses, appropriate care may include hospitalization. Please be aware that although it is possible that you may be hospitalized against your will for your own safety or the safety of others, this is sometimes a necessary step in the road to recovery.

 

Discontinuation of Treatment

We will usually discontinue treatment with a patient only after considerable discussion and usually for one of the following reasons: (1) not paying the bill or responding to our attempts to work out an arrangement, (2) canceling too often, (3) not following through with treatment recommendations. If you foresee a problem in any of these areas, please let us know. If we see difficulty in any of these areas, we will generally bring it up with you so we can discuss it.

 

You can discontinue treatment with us at any time in person, by phone or video, or in writing. We are not easily offended if you want to end your treatment with us, and you can usually reopen your case simply by calling us if you ended the treatment in good standing or if you have made changes that will allow the treatment to go forward again.

 

Other Issues

Hopefully, these policies will make our interactions easier, but sometimes there are unplanned issues. We will be honest and do our best to be fair while being consistent. Please bring to our attention any questions or concerns you may have about any aspect of your treatment. Due to time constraints, it would be best to bring up any special requests or issues that require immediate attention at the beginning of the appointment. We consider it a privilege to work with you, and look forward to helping you with your health and well-being.

 

 

 

 

The above information, policies, terms, and conditions are not necessarily complete and are subject to change at any time.​​

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