General Policies – Psychiatric Associates of Southwest Louisiana -Dr. Joni Orazio

Policies and Billing

Insurance

Dr. Orazio:

Dr. Orazio is a fee for service physician; therefore, she is not a participating provider for any private insurances. As a non- participating physician in your healthcare plan, your healthcare plan may impose higher deductibles and/or copayments for out-of-network services. Patients have to file insurance themselves; however, we do our best to assist you in this endeavor and stand ready to answer questions that arise. All information needed to file with your insurance will be provided. If you are an established patient and need to set up a payment plan, please contact our office to discuss. Dr. Orazio does accept Medicare for existing patients.

Dr. Bramlet:

Dr. Bramlet accepts Medicare Insurance.

Payment

• Co-pays are to be paid at the time of your appointment, per your insurance contract.

• Co-pays for mental health coverage do vary from one carrier to another; review the back of your insurance card and contact your mental health carrier for questions if you have any concerns regarding your co-pays or authorizations.

• Payment is required at the time of service for Dr. Orazio, a fee for service physician, unless the patient has Medicare as their health insurance carrier.

• We accept cash, credit cards, and checks for payment.

Appointment Policy

• Office visits are by appointment only and vary according to each practitioner’s schedule and a patient’s need.

• We are accepting new patients and patients of all ages.

• We do impose a fee of $95.00 for appointments missed or cancelled with less than 24-hours notice.

• Adults over the age of 18 must make their own appointments.

• Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied to all appointments by a parent or legal guardian.

Prescription Refills

• All prescription refills must be called in a minimum of 4 business days before your medication runs out. We do not accept prescription refills from patients walking in to request refills; please phone us instead. Refill requests received after 3:00 p.m. will be handled the next business day.

• Prescriptions for controlled medications for most pharmacies (some do not accept) can be electronically sent for a month's supply only. If your controlled medication will be refilled for more than a month, you will need to pick up the prescriptions at the office.

Emergency Calls

• For calls that are an emergency during office hours, press 0 (zero) to speak to the support staff. For emergency calls after business hours, you will also press 0 (zero).

• If you have questions for your provider that are not critically urgent, please leave a message and provide a number where you can be reached. Please keep your phone near you to receive a call back. You will be asked to provide the staff with as much information as possible during your phone call. The providers answer their messages throughout the day and your call will be returned as soon as your message is reviewed with the provider.

Fees

Forms:
There is a fee of $10.00 for any forms that are 1 page or less. More complex forms will be charged up to $80.00, depending on the length and time involved to complete the form.
For prior authorization forms, there is a customary fee of $15.00.

Records:
Your records, if copied, will cost $1.00 per page for the first 25 pages, then 0.50 per page thereafter.
Records requested by other physicians or health professionals rendering active treatment are free of charge.

Letters:
Letters for college, ACT accommodations, etc. vary in cost depending on the subject mater.

Reports:
Dictated reports by your clinician will incur a charge based on the amount of time spent producing the document.

Court Appearances:
Court appearances and depositions are charged by the hour or half-day and will differ from clinician to clinician.

Notice: The costs and fees presented above are provided for your convenience and are subject to change without prior notice. If you have concerns regarding the cost associated with a specific service, please contact our office with your questions prior to making a request.