PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the psychologist and patient, and the particular problems you hope to address. There are many different methods I may use to deal with those problems. Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and at home. Psychotherapy can have benefits and risks. Because therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. When treating insomnia specifically, therapy might cause you to experience increased sleepiness and fatigue, especially in the early phases of treatment. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, significant reductions in feelings of distress, improved sleep, and less fatigue. But there are no guarantees as to what you will experience. Our first session will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer you some first impressions of what our work will include and a treatment plan to follow, if you decide to continue with me for therapy. You should evaluate this information along with your own opinions about whether you feel comfortable working with me. At the end of the evaluation, I will notify you if I believe that I am not the right therapist for you and if so, I will give you referrals to other practitioners who I believe are better suited to help you. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about my procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, I will be happy to help you set up a meeting with another mental health professional for a second opinion. Please note that the psychological services I provide are not for emergency situations. For emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. FEES My fee is $395 for an initial evaluation lasting 90 minutes, and $250 for each subsequent psychotherapy session (either in-person or over the telephone) lasting 45 minutes. I charge this same $250 per 45-minutes rate for other professional services you may need, though I will prorate the cost if I work for periods of less than 45 minutes in increments of 15 minutes, rounded to the nearest 15-minute increment (e.g., 22 minutes of service will be charged for 15 minutes whereas 23 minutes of service will be charged for 30 minutes). Other professional services include telephone conversations or email responses lasting longer than 15 minutes, and the time spent performing any other service you may request of me. If you become involved in legal proceedings that require my participation, you will be expected to pay for any professional time I spend on your legal matter, even if the request comes from another party, at the same $250 per 45-minutes rate. I do not charge for time spent writing reports and progress notes as per the standard routine of my care of you. I also do not charge for any time I may spend collaborating with your other providers. From time to time, I may institute fee increases and these will be discussed and agreed upon ahead of time with a new Treatment Contract. If it has been more than one year since our last appointment, then you will re-initiate services at my current standard fee which may be higher than the fee you were previously paying. In addition, if it has been more than one year since our last appointment, you will be scheduled for another initial evaluation (90 minutes) and charged accordingly, with subsequent 45-minute psychotherapy sessions thereafter. INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT You are responsible for paying your full session fee. I am not in-network with any insurance companies. If you decide to submit claims to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have, you may do so. However, be aware that the services provided will still be charged to you, not your insurance company, and you are responsible for the full payment. I have no role in deciding what your insurance covers. You are responsible for checking your insurance coverage, deductibles, payment rates, pre-authorization procedures, etc. Missed appointments, late cancellations (i.e., cancellations within 24 hours of service), and telephone session are not typically covered by insurance companies and therefore you will likely be responsible for the full session fee in these instances. If your insurance company doesn’t reimburse you, I am not responsible for refunding you any payment you expected to be reimbursed or otherwise. I will provide you a superbill after each session with the following information that you will need to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement for any out-of-network benefits you might have:
Legal Services If this Agreement is for legal services, this section is applicable. Contractor shall: (i) adhere to legal cost and billing guidelines designated by the JBE; (ii) adhere to litigation plans designated by the JBE, if applicable; (iii) adhere to case phasing of activities designated by the JBE, if applicable; (iv) submit and adhere to legal budgets as designated by the JBE; (v) maintain legal malpractice insurance in an amount not less than the amount designated by the JBE; and (vi) submit to legal bill audits and law firm audits if so requested by the JBE, whether conducted by employees or designees of the JBE or by any legal cost-control provider retained by the JBE for that purpose. Contractor may be required to submit to a legal cost and utilization review as determined by the JBE. If (a) the Contract Amount is greater than $50,000, (b) the legal services are not the legal representation of low- or middle-income persons, in either civil, criminal, or administrative matters, and (c) the legal services are to be performed within California, then Contractor agrees to make a good faith effort to provide a minimum number of hours of pro xxxx legal services, or an equivalent amount of financial contributions to qualified legal services projects and support centers, as defined in section 6213 of the Business and Professions Code, during each year of the Agreement equal to the lesser of either (A) thirty (30) multiplied by the number of full time attorneys in the firm’s offices in California, with the number of hours prorated on an actual day basis for any period of less than a full year or (B) the number of hours equal to ten percent (10%) of the Contract Amount divided by the average billing rate of the firm. Failure to make a good faith effort may be cause for nonrenewal of this Agreement or another judicial branch or other state contract for legal services, and may be taken into account when determining the award of future contracts with a Judicial Branch Entity for legal services.
Urgent Care Services All Medically Necessary Covered Services received in Urgent Care Centers, Retail Clinics or your Primary Care Physician’s office after-hours to treat an Urgent Medical Condition will be covered by AvMed. Any request for reimbursement of payment made by a Member for services received must be filed within 90 days or as soon as reasonably possible but not later than one year unless the Member was legally incapacitated. If Urgent Medical Services and Care are required while outside the continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii, it is the Member’s responsibility to pay for such services at the time they are received. For information on filing a Claim for such services, see Part XIII. REVIEW PROCEDURES AND HOW TO APPEAL A CLAIM (BENEFIT) DENIAL.
Surgery Services This plan covers surgery services to treat a disease or injury when: • the operation is not experimental or investigational, or cosmetic in nature; • the operation is being performed at the appropriate place of service; and • the physician is licensed to perform the surgery. Preauthorization may be required for certain surgical services. Reconstructive Surgery for a Functional Deformity or Impairment This plan covers reconstructive surgery and procedures when the services are performed to relieve pain, or to correct or improve bodily function that is impaired as a result of: • a birth defect; • an accidental injury; • a disease; or • a previous covered surgical procedure. Functional indications for surgical correction do not include psychological, psychiatric or emotional reasons. This plan covers the procedures listed below to treat functional impairments. • abdominal wall surgery including panniculectomy (other than an abdominoplasty); • blepharoplasty and ptosis repair; • gastric bypass or gastric banding; • nasal reconstruction and septorhinoplasty; • orthognathic surgery including mandibular and maxillary osteotomy; • reduction mammoplasty; • removal of breast implants; • removal or treatment of proliferative vascular lesions and hemangiomas; • treatment of varicose veins; or • gynecomastia. Preauthorization may be required for these services.
Hospice Care If you have a terminal illness and you agree with your physician not to continue with a curative treatment program, this plan covers hospice care services received in your home, in a skilled nursing facility, or in an inpatient facility.
Prevention Care Services and Early Detection Services See Prevention and Early Detection Services section for details. 0% Not Covered Private Duty Nursing Services* Must be performed by a certified home health care agency. 0% - After deductible Not Covered
Hospital Services The Hospital will:
Preventive Care and Early Detection Services This plan covers, early detection services, preventive care services, and immunizations or vaccinations in accordance with state and federal law, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as set forth below and in accordance with the guidelines of the following resources: • services that have an A or B rating in the current recommendations of the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF); • immunizations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; • preventive care and screenings for infants, children, and adolescents as outlined in the comprehensive guidelines supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); or • preventive care and screenings for women as outlined in the comprehensive guidelines as supported by HRSA. Covered early detection services, preventive care services and adult and pediatric immunizations or vaccinations are based on the most currently available guidelines and are subject to change. The amount you pay for preventive services will be different from the amount you pay for diagnostic procedures and non-preventive services. See the Summary of Medical Benefits and the Summary of Pharmacy Benefits for more information about the amount you pay. Preventive Office Visits This plan covers the following preventive office visits. • Annual preventive visit - one (1) routine physical examination per plan year per member age 36 months and older; • Pediatric preventive office and clinic visits from birth to 35 months - 11 visits; • Well Woman annual preventive visit - one (1) routine gynecological examination per plan year per female member.
Outpatient Dental Anesthesia Services This plan covers anesthesia services received in connection with a dental service when provided in a hospital or freestanding ambulatory surgical center and: • the use of this is medically necessary; and • the setting in which the service is received is determined to be appropriate. This plan also covers facility fees associated with these services.
Medically Necessary Services for the State plan services in Addendum VIII. B medically necessary has the meaning in Wis. Admin. Code DHS §101.03(96m): services (as defined under Wis. Stat. § 49.46
