Payment & Insurance

My practice is considered "out of network" for most insurance companies. I am currently unable to see patients on Medicare. There are websites that aid in submitting insurance reimbursements to insurance companies, including Reimbursfy.com. This website may also be helpful in determining if you qualify for out-of-network insurance reimbursements. I can provide a super-bill that you can send to your insurance company for reimbursement, when requested. CPT codes are available in the Services section of this website - these are the codes that insurance companies use to determine how much to bill for our appointment, depending on services provided. 

Payment is expected in full at time of service, prior to submitting insurance reimbursement. Method of payment must be entered into my online payment system prior to our appointment.

Cancellation

My practice requires notice of cancellation at least 24 hours before our scheduled visit. Cancellation notice may be sent via email or voice message, but the timestamp of the message must indicate that it was sent at least 24 hours before our scheduled visit. This cancellation policy operates only during business hours of my practice, and does not consider weekends or holidays to count towards the 24 hour cancellation period. For example, if you need to cancel an appointment at 12pm on a Monday, you must notify my practice of the cancellation before 12pm of the prior Friday. Missed appointments or cancelled appointments within 24 hours will result in a charge of 50% of the appointment fee. Repeat missed appointments or late arrivals may lead to discontinuation of services.

Administrative Fees

For administrative duties that require 15 minutes or longer to complete, you will be charged an administrative fee of $300 per hour. This administrative charge is billed per quarter hour. This includes, but is not limited to: phone calls, family conferences, responding to emails or messages, medical record handling, filling out paperwork, and obtaining prior authorizations. I will always provide a time estimate and ask for your permission prior to performing any additional services that will generate a bill, when it is expected that an administrative duty will exceed 15 minutes. It is the patient's responsibility to consider this possibility when administrative services are requested, and I am happy to provide a time estimate if an estimate is requested.

I will only be able to fill out FMLA or disability paperwork for patients who I have been seeing for 1 year or longer. 

Controlled Substances

There are laws that normally restrict doctors from prescribing controlled substances without an in-person visit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these laws have been halted and I am able to prescribe controlled substances if our visits have only been via video. However, it is uncertain for how long this will be allowed, and my prescription of controlled substances is not a guarantee that I would be able to prescribe them in the future. 

It is practice policy that I do not prescribe benzodiazepines. If you require a benzodiazepine prescription, I would suggest seeking care elsewhere. If you have another doctor who is able and willing to prescribe your benzodiazepine, I am able to provide recommendations to that doctor, based on my medical judgment.

I routinely monitor state-controlled drug monitoring programs for all patients. 

If you lose a bottle of your controlled substance medication, you may be provided one refill at the physician's discretion. If you lose the prescription again, you will not be provided another refill.

I reserve the right to prescribe or not prescribe controlled substances based on my medical judgment. If you are currently prescribed a controlled substance, an appointment with me does not guarantee that I will prescribe your controlled substance.

Emergencies

For life-threatening emergencies, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. If you message me over the EMR, it may take 24-48 hours, or longer, for me to respond to your message. If you cannot reach me during an urgent situation, you may also call the crisis line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 360-586-2800. You may also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), which is a confidential hotline staffed by trained mental health counselors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Other Crisis Lines:

National Suicide Hotline: 800-273-TALK or 800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
Crisis Clinic 24-Hour Crisis Line: 866-427-4747
National Runaway Switchboard: 800-RUNAWAY (786-2929)
National Child Abuse Hotline: 800-422-4453
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673)
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

You may also contact the NAMI Seattle Helpline via call or text at 425-298-5315. For immediate crises, you may contact King County Crisis Connections at 866-427-4747.