What to Expect

What to Expect

Counseling or therapy is a process that can be either goal oriented and specific, working with a crisis or problem that has come up in a person’s (or couple’s) life; or it can be more general, dealing with a person’s (or couple’s) feelings of dissatisfaction, sadness or general malaise.

Together we try to target what will work best for you to uplift your mood, solve your immediate problem(s) and set the direction you need to be moving in to enhance your life experience.

This process can sometimes work quickly to help you get to where you are comfortable again, or it can take longer, as change is sometimes gradual.

My sessions are scheduled for 50 minutes. However, I will schedule longer sessions when meeting a couple for the first time or working with a patient in crisis.

Insurance Information

I am an out of network provider. That means that I am not participating on any insurance panel. Upon request I will issue a statement of payment (along with an appropriate diagnosis) for anyone who wants to use their insurance to get reimbursement.

Although your insurance company may have mental health benefits there are a few things you should know regarding the use of those benefits:

  • if you have an HMO you will need to choose a provider who is contracted with that company. There may not be out of network benefits available.
  • if you have a PPO you may or may not have out of network benefits. You will need to contact your insurance company to obtain that information.
  • if you use your mental health benefits your insurance company will require that the provider give you a psychiatric diagnosis which indicates a mental disorder. Your diagnosis is gotten from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V). That diagnosis will remain in your medical record.
  • should you decide to use your insurance I will provide you with a statement of services rendered.

Health Insurance and Confidentiality of Records

If you use your insurance a disclosure of confidential information may be required by your health insurance carrier or HMO/PPO/MCO/EAP in order to process the claims. I have no control or knowledge over what insurance companies do with the information submitted or who will have access to this information.

You must be aware that submitting a mental health invoice for reimbursement carries a certain amount of risk to confidentiality, privacy or to future capacity to obtain health or life insurance or even a job. The risk stems from the fact that mental health information is likely to be entered into big insurance companies’ computers and then to be reported to the National Medical Data Bank.

Accessibility to companies’ computers or to the National Medical Data Bank database is always in question as life insurance and health insurance carriers will typically require a person seeking insurance to allow them access; an employer will typically require a job seeker to allow them access; and, in addition, computers are inherently vulnerable to break-in’s and unauthorized access. In addition, medical and mental health data has been reported to be legally accessed by law enforcement and other agencies, which may also compromise your confidentiality.

Confidentiality

All information disclosed within sessions and the written records pertaining to those sessions are confidential and may not be revealed to anyone without your (patient’s) written permission, except where disclosure is required by law. This statement holds true except with respect to an insurance company or a third party payer.

Payment Information

Fees are discussed by phone directly with me. Payment can be made with checks, cash or credit cards. All major credit cards are accepted.

If you use your insurance I will provide you with a proper statement for you to submit. I am an out of network provider.

Cancellation

Since the scheduling of an appointment involves the reservation of time specifically for you, a minimum of 24 hours (1 day) notice is required for re-scheduling or canceling an appointment. Unless we reach a different agreement, the full fee will be charged for sessions missed without such notification.

Services are rendered either at my office located at 2999 NE 191 St. Suite 703, Miami, Florida 33180 or through video conference via Zoom, Skype or FaceTime as well as phone. Serving all of the greater Miami area or, through video conference, anywhere that there is broadband internet connection.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me or call me at 305-933-9779