Maintaining your privacy begins with parking in a convenient and less congested lot, which is only a few steps away from entering a covered sky bridge and the second floor lobby. Using this easily reached access avoids a long outdoor walk and bypasses the Wachovia Bank Building’s main lobby and the foot traffic associated with the first floor elevators.
Appointments are scheduled with a 30-minute separation between patients, which allows time to extend the session if necessary. In addition, by scheduling appointments with sufficient time in-between patients, there is less of a chance of waiting in a crowded waiting room.
Confidentiality
I would like you to understand the important legal and ethical obligations that exist for your protection. When talking about sensitive and private issues, the confidentiality of everything discussed must be respected and maintained. This includes not disclosing that you are a patient, counseling client, or being seen for therapy. As a licensed psychologist, I have an obligation to uphold the privacy, confidentiality, and the patient’s safety as mandated by law. As a member of the American Psychological Association, I have an ethical responsibility to protect the patient’s wellbeing and privacy. This responsibility includes making the patient aware of my decision about the risks involved in using insurance to pay for psychotherapy services.
Reasons Why I Do Not Accept Insurance
Respecting your privacy and confidentiality is an ongoing process. As a result, I cannot accept insurance reimbursement. Doctors and other therapists (providers) who do accept insurance reimbursement must submit sensitive information about the patient that has the potential to breach confidentiality and cause harm.
For example, when insurance is used to pay for services, the insurance company requires the provider to impose a medical diagnosis, submit treatment plans, progress notes, request authorizations for required services, and explain why services are needed. Submitting all of this information causes the creation of a record containing sensitive medical/psychological information concerning your private life.
In other words, it means that when a provider accepts insurance reimbursement, the insurance company becomes privy to the topics discussed in therapy sessions.
Some of the potential uses of such a medical/psychological record include evaluation of your suitability for life or health insurance and informing a potential employer that you sought therapy in the past as you are added to a new insurance plan.
In place of insurance, I accept payment for services as they are provided. This keeps everything discussed in therapy protected within the boundaries of state law. All patient records remain secure and in compliance with HIPAA guidelines.
As a doctor of psychology, I have been trained to protect my patients and ‘Do No Harm.’ However, once insurance becomes a partner in the psychotherapeutic endeavor, I cannot assure or maintain my patient’s confidentiality.
Consequently, I have chosen not to accept insurance reimbursement and not allow my patients to be subjected to any outside interference that has the potential to cause harm.
About My Fees
My fees are set by following the usual, customary, and reasonable standard, or UCR. This method takes into account the training, expertise, and the degree of services provided by a skilled doctor possessing a license to practice and offer the services of a psychologist. Fees are discussed when an appointment is set.
Medication services are billed separately if needed. Comprehensive psychiatric services are available, thus providing convenient and extensive care within a multi-disciplinary practice treatment setting.
