Policies.
Whenever possible, prescriptions are provided during scheduled appointments with enough medication to last until the next recommended follow-up.
Between-Appointment Prescription Requests — $50
A $50 administrative fee applies to prescription or refill requests that require physician review and are handled outside of a scheduled appointment.
Before contacting the office about a missing prescription or refill, please contact your pharmacy directly and confirm whether a prescription or refill is already available.
Please request routine prescriptions at least 7 days before you expect to run out of medication.
Pharmacy Problems & Additional Administrative Work
If you believe a prescription was not received, is unavailable, or cannot be filled, please contact the pharmacy first and ask them to check your active prescriptions and prescription history.
If the issue cannot be resolved by the pharmacy and requires Dr. Ella to contact the pharmacy, investigate the prescription history, resend or redirect prescriptions, or otherwise perform additional administrative work outside of an appointment, additional administrative charges may apply based on the time required.
Urgent Refill Requests
Prescription requests needed within 48 hours are considered urgent refill requests and are subject to a $100 administrative fee.
Please plan ahead whenever possible. Routine prescription requests are not processed when the office is closed, including weekends and holidays.
Pharmacy-Generated Refill Requests
Automatic refill requests sent by pharmacies are not accepted as patient refill requests.
If you need a prescription, please contact the office directly after confirming with your pharmacy that a prescription or refill is not already available.
Travel & Pharmacy Changes
Please discuss anticipated travel, extended medication supplies, or planned pharmacy changes during your appointment whenever possible.
Requests made between appointments may be subject to the applicable administrative fee.
Controlled Medications
Controlled medications may be subject to additional prescribing requirements and cannot necessarily be replaced, transferred, or filled early. Please contact the office in advance if you anticipate travel or a pharmacy change.
Please Remember
The best way to avoid additional prescription-related charges is to:
Keep your recommended follow-up appointments.
Check with your pharmacy before contacting the office.
Request routine prescriptions at least 7 days in advance.
Discuss travel and planned pharmacy changes during your appointment.
Contact the office directly rather than relying on automated pharmacy refill requests.
PRESCRIPTION & REFILL POLICY:
PAYMENT & INSURANCE POLICY:
Our practice is a private-pay practice. We do not participate with or bill commercial insurance plans and are considered out-of-network with commercial insurers.
Medicare and Medicaid: Dr. Ella has opted out of Medicare and does not participate in Medicaid. The practice does not bill Medicare or Medicaid for services. Patients with Medicare or Medicaid coverage should discuss the applicable private-pay requirements with the office before scheduling.
Payment is the patient’s or responsible party’s responsibility. Payment for scheduled appointments is generally collected from the credit card on file approximately 24 hours before the appointment.
A valid credit card is required to be kept on file. Credit cards are the accepted form of payment. Cash and checks are not accepted.
Out-of-network reimbursement: Patients with commercial insurance that includes out-of-network benefits may choose to submit claims directly to their insurance company for possible reimbursement.
Superbills are available upon request. The practice does not automatically generate or send superbills. If you would like a superbill for services already rendered, please request one by calling the office or emailing the administrative team.
Insurance reimbursement is not guaranteed. Patients are responsible for understanding their own out-of-network benefits, deductibles, claim-submission requirements, and coverage. The practice cannot guarantee reimbursement or any particular reimbursement amount.
Payment is not contingent upon insurance reimbursement. The patient or responsible party remains responsible for the practice’s full fee regardless of whether an insurance company reimburses the patient, denies the claim, applies the charge to a deductible, or reimburses less than anticipated.
Medication prior authorizations: When clinically appropriate, routine medication prior-authorization requests are submitted by the practice without an additional administrative charge. Insurance approval or medication coverage cannot be guaranteed.
Additional services and administrative charges: Services provided outside of scheduled appointments may be subject to separate fees as described elsewhere in the Practice Policies.
Good Faith Estimates: Patients who are uninsured or who do not intend to use insurance to pay for their care have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges as required by federal law. Please contact the practice if you would like a Good Faith Estimate or have questions regarding anticipated charges.
CANCELLATION & RESCHEDULING POLICY
Appointments must be cancelled or rescheduled at least 48 business hours before the scheduled appointment time. Weekends and practice holidays do not count toward the 48-business-hour notice period.
Appointments cancelled or rescheduled with less than 48 business hours' notice, as well as missed appointments, will be charged the full scheduled appointment fee.
FOLLOW-UP & CONTINUITY OF CARE
Regular follow-up is necessary for safe and effective psychiatric care. The frequency of follow-up is determined by clinical need and may vary depending on diagnosis, medications, treatment plan, and clinical circumstances.
Patients are responsible for scheduling and maintaining recommended follow-up appointments.
Patients who have not been seen for six months or longer may be considered inactive and may be required to complete a clinical reassessment before additional appointments, medication management, or prescriptions can be provided.
Extended lack of follow-up may also result in discharge from the practice. When the practice initiates termination of an established physician-patient relationship, appropriate notice will be provided to allow reasonable time to establish care with another clinician, consistent with applicable professional and legal requirements.
The practice cannot guarantee continued medication prescribing when recommended follow-up has not occurred.