Policies for my Psychotherapy practice
Office Hours:
Office hours are by appointment only and are available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. I do not have Friday or weekend appointments. I do all my own appointment scheduling.
Fees and Payment:
As of January 1, 2023 the fee for the initial sixty-minute evaluation appointment is $220.00. The fee for a forty-five-minute (individual or family) psychotherapy appointment is $165.00. There is no charge for phone calls, simple document preparation or consultation with other professionals. If another provider requests a copy of your file, a medical records fee will be billed to that provider.
The fee for preparation of a letter for another professional will be $220.00 per hour in addition to the appointment(s) required to gather information. Examples of such documentation would include a referral for specialized medical care or a summary of your psychological functioning for a legal proceeding. Reports prepared will not be released until the balance is paid in full.
I accept only cash, money orders, or checks and payment is due at the time services are rendered. Failure to keep current on your payments constitutes failure to comply with treatment and may result in suspension of appointments. In addition, accounts not paid within 90 days are subject to a 1.5% monthly finance charge.
I do not accept HSA/Flex Spending nor bank debit or credit cards and do not bill (and will not accept) payment from any insurance companies. I currently do not accept any form of electronic payment such as Venmo or Apple Pay. At the end of each month, I provide you with a detailed statement of fees and payments which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Insurance:
Although I do not bill any insurance directly, I can provide you with a statement that shows the dates of service and the amount you paid. You can submit the statement to your insurer for reimbursement. You usually have to fill out a simple one page claim form. If they reimburse you for any portion of the bill, the money would go directly back to the subscriber/insured. I would be considered an out of network and non-preferred or non-participating provider.
You may want to call to find the details of your particular mental health coverage before you schedule your first appointment. The number to call is usually on the back of your insurance card. Ask about your deductible and the rate of reimbursement for a non-participating/out of network provider (usually a percentage). Be aware that I charge $200 for an initial appointment and $150 for follow up appointments and insurance companies base the reimbursement on what they consider to be UCR (usual and customary rate) which is often less, and therefore the percentage will be based on their rate, not mine.
If you ask, your insurer can tell you what that UCR rate is for the initial 60 minute evaluation appointment (service code 90791) and the 45 minute individual psychotherapy appointments (service code 90834). But remember that my rate is the amount you will pay and their rate is the amount they will use to calculate your reimbursement.
I expect payment each time we meet (cash, check, or money order). The end of the month statement will show the amount you paid which is what any insurance company or Health Savings Account wants to see in order to process a claim for you. Waiting for reimbursement and the lower rate of reimbursement is prohibitive for many people. For those with an HMO there would be no coverage and no one will reimburse you for fees you pay for missed appointments.
Blue Cross Blue Shield tips and links:
With Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) PPO you may be able to get your Primary Care Physician to sign a one page referral form which would allow you to get the higher (in network) rate of reimbursement.
You can print a BCBSM claim form to submit along with statement and find instructions regarding filing a claim after your visit to an out of network provider on the BCBSM web page. Other insurance companies likely have similar resources available online.
Late Cancellations and Missed Appointments:
There is a charge of the full appointment fee ($165.00) for appointments not kept that are not cancelled with at least 24 hours prior notification by phone. Please be aware that insurance companies will never reimburse for a missed appointment or late cancellation.
Contact via Phone, Email and Postal Mail:
Please call my office phone number (248) 553-9053 for all business calls. Whether I am in the office or not, I check my voicemail throughout the day and make every attempt to return each call by the end of the next business day, if not the same day.
My e-mail address is Dr.Caretto@BeTreatedWell.com. Though I check my e-mail each business day, the office phone is still the best way to contact me because I may not respond to your email as quickly as I would respond to your voice-mail message because I sometimes do not look at my email until 10 pm or later. And please do not send messages through the Clocktree portal because I do not check that email unless I am on-line.
For all postal mail, please use the secure Post Office Box address: Post Office Box 2265 Dearborn, MI 48123. Mail delivered to the office address is left outside my office suite door and thereby jeopardizes your confidentiality.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
