Keystone Wellness LLC: Practice Policies
NO SURPRISES ACT 2022
Understanding Your Rights as a Client: The No Surprise Act and Your Mental Health Care
At Keystone Wellness, I believe in empowering clients with knowledge and transparency, especially when it comes to navigating the complexities of healthcare. One important piece of legislation you should be aware of is the No Surprises Act.
What is the No Surprise Act?
The No Surprises Act, passed in December 2020, is designed to protect you, the patient, from unexpected and potentially costly medical bills, including those related to mental health services. This law aims to ensure that you have clarity and control over your healthcare expenses, even when seeking therapy or counseling.
What Does It Mean for You?
Protection from Surprise Bills: With the No Surprises Act in place, you are shielded from surprise bills resulting from out-of-network care. This means that if your therapist is not in-network with your insurance provider, you won't face unexpected charges that could strain your finances. Keystone Wellness is not in network with any insurance providers.
Transparent Cost Estimates: Before you receive any services, your therapist is required to provide clear and upfront cost estimates. This allows you to understand the financial aspects of your care and make informed decisions about your treatment without any unwelcome surprises.
Fair Dispute Resolution: If you ever receive a surprise medical bill, the No Surprises Act ensures that you have recourse through a fair dispute resolution process. You have the right to challenge any unexpected charges and seek resolution in a manner that prioritizes your financial well-being.
What You Can Expect from Keystone Wellness:
At Keystone Wellness, I am committed to upholding the principles of the No Surprises Act. I strive to provide transparent pricing information and open communication about insurance coverage so that you can feel confident and informed throughout your therapeutic journey.
Your mental health and financial well-being are important. By understanding your rights under the No Surprises Act and knowing what to expect from your therapy experience, you can feel empowered to prioritize your mental wellness without worrying about unexpected costs. At Keystone Wellness, I am here to support you every step of the way.
PAYMENT POLICY:
At Keystone Wellness, I want to ensure a seamless and stress-free experience for clients, including managing payments for services. To streamline this process, I kindly request that payment be made on the day of your scheduled appointment. If cards on file are declined due to HSA or card company complications, you will receive an email day of. If the payment issue is not resolved within 5 business days, a late payment fee of 5% may be applied to the balance.
Why Payment on the Day of Service?
Prompt payment allows us to focus entirely on providing you with the highest quality of care during your session. It also helps me maintain the efficiency of the practice, ensuring that I can continue to offer exceptional services to all clients.
Accepted Payment Methods:
Keystone Wellness accept various payment methods for your convenience, including cash, credit/debit cards, and electronic transfers. If you have any questions about our payment policy or need assistance with payment options, please don't hesitate to contact us. I appreciate your cooperation and understanding regarding the payment policy. Your commitment to timely payment enables Keystone Wellness to deliver the best possible therapeutic experience for you.
What is a Superbill and Reimbursement?
A “superbill” is a billing statement that looks very similar to an insurance claim. It is a bill provided by a service provider who is out of network with insurances (such as myself).
Because there are no claims submitted to client’s insurance, they are expected to pay out of pocket. After payment, at a client’s request the therapist will generate a superbill that the client can then submit to their insurance (usually through a portal) on the insurance providers website.
How will I know if I get reimbursed?
You can call the number on the back of your insurance card and talk to customer care regarding your plan’s out of network insurance coverage. Often times you’ll need to meet an “out of network” deductible before receiving a percentage of your rate back.
Your insurance company may ask for some information about Keystone Wellness:
Name of Provider: Kayla Woods, LCSW
Address: 210 West Grant Street Lancaster PA 17603
Business Phone Number: 717-537-1862
License Number: CW024793
NPI: 1205476884
CPT codes: for “Individual Therapy” : CPT 908.37 for “Family/Couples Therapy”: CPT 908.47
Processing time for reimbursement claims can take time (average 6-12 weeks). Keep in contact with the insurance provider. They typically send a check directly to your address, there is no money exchange between insurance providers and Keystone Wellness.
Telephone accessibility and contact with Therapist between sessions:
If you need to contact your therapist between sessions, please leave a voicemail (717)-537-1862. While your therapist may not be immediately available, they will attempt to return your call within 24 hours during the week. Your therapist will not be available on weekends and during vacation. If it is a weekend and you find yourself in a mental health emergency, please immediately call Crisis Intervention in your area (Lancaster: 717-394-2631).
Another great form of communication is email. While therapists cannot provide “email therapy”, they will acknowledge receiving your email within 24-48 hours or 72 on the weekend unless stated otherwise. Please understand that contacting Keystone Wellness Therapy LLC via email, cell phone, or other electronic device is not risk-free concerning confidentiality. Confidentiality is approached with extra measures; Keystone Wellness Therapy LLC cannot be held responsible for the risks involved with these communication means. Keystone Wellness Therapy LLC does not provide emergency services. In the event of an emergency, it is the client’s responsibility to seek appropriate help by contacting 911, Crisis Intervention at 717-394-2631, or go to an emergency room at a local hospital.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND HIPAA POLICIES:
At Keystone Wellness, I prioritize the confidentiality and privacy of all clients. I adhere to the highest standards of confidentiality in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other applicable laws and ethical guidelines.
Your Privacy Matters:
Your privacy is important. When you engage in therapy at Keystone Wellness, you can trust that all information shared during sessions is kept strictly confidential. This includes both verbal communication and written records, which are securely maintained.
HIPAA Compliance:
As mandated by HIPAA, I have implemented stringent measures to safeguard your protected health information (PHI). These measures include secure electronic systems, encrypted communications, and strict access controls to ensure that your information remains confidential at all times.
Limits of Confidentiality:
While your privacy is highly respected, there are certain circumstances where confidentiality may be legally and ethically breached. These include situations involving imminent risk of harm to yourself or others, suspected child or elder abuse, or court-ordered disclosures. In such cases, I will always strive to communicate with you openly and transparently about any necessary actions.
Your Rights:
As a client of Keystone Wellness, you have the right to understand the confidentiality and HIPAA policies fully. If you have any questions or concerns about how your information is handled, please don't hesitate to discuss them with your therapist.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND TELECOMMUNICATION
Due to the importance of your confidentiality and the importance of minimizing dual relationships, therapists do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). Adding clients as friends or contacts on these sites can compromise your confidentiality and our respective privacy. It may also blur the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. If you have questions about this, please ask!
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
Keystone Wellness Therapy LLC cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. If you prefer to communicate via email or text messaging for issues regarding scheduling or cancellations, please address this with your therapist. While messages are attempted to return in a timely manner, there is no guarantee of immediate response and request that you do not use these methods of communication to discuss therapeutic content and/or request assistance for emergencies. If you chose to do so your therapist is not confined to confidentially regarding communication as the limits are understood.
Services by electronic means, including but not limited to telephone communication, the internet, facsimile machines, and e-mail is considered tele-medicine and is broadly defined as the use of information technology to deliver medical services and information from one location to another. If you and your therapist choose to use information technology for some or all of your treatment, you need to understand that:
(1) You retain the option to withhold or withdraw consent at any time without affecting the right to future care or treatment or risking the loss or withdrawal of any program benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled.
(2) All existing confidentiality protections are equally applicable.
(3) Your access to all medical information transmitted during a tele-medicine consultation is guaranteed, and copies of this information are available for a reasonable fee.
(4) Dissemination of any of your identifiable images or information from the tele-medicine interaction to researchers or other entities shall not occur without your consent.
(5) There are potential risks, consequences, and benefits of telemedicine. Potential benefits include, but are not limited to improved communication capabilities, providing convenient access to up-to-date information, consultations, support, reduced costs, improved quality, change in the conditions of practice, improved access to therapy, better continuity of care, and reduction of lost work time and travel costs. Effective therapy is often facilitated when the therapist gathers within a session or a series of sessions, a multitude of observations, information, and experiences about the client. Counselors may make clinical assessments, diagnosis, and interventions based not only on direct verbal or auditory communications, written reports, and third person consultations, but also from direct visual and olfactory observations, information, and experiences. When using information technology in therapy services, potential risks include, but are not limited to the therapist’s inability to make visual and olfactory observations of clinically or therapeutically potentially relevant issues such as: your physical condition including deformities, apparent height and weight, body type, attractiveness relative to social and cultural norms or standards, gait and motor coordination, posture, work speed, any noteworthy mannerism or gestures, physical or medical conditions including bruises or injuries, basic grooming and hygiene including appropriateness of dress, eye contact (including any changes in the previously listed issues), sex, chronological and apparent age, ethnicity, facial and body language, and congruence of language and facial or bodily expression. Potential consequences thus include the therapist not being aware of what he or she would consider important information, that you may not recognize as significant to present verbally the therapist.
ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF THERAPY SESSIONS
On occasion clients will ask with supportive services that occur outside the regular session and are not billable under traditional therapy. An example of such services includes participating in school meeting, talking with attorney’s, completing assessments/letters for employment, and other activities that are not considered typical responsibilities of an outpatient therapist.
A therapist has NO OBLIGATION to participate in such meetings and if he/she chooses to do so there is a fee associated with the time spent on such requests. The charge is $120 per hour and must be paid by the client as a self-pay (credit card/check) payment as these cannot be billed through insurances. By signing this agreement, you are agreeing to such charges. Therapist does have the obligation to inform you of the associated charge in writing (email is sufficient) and the expected charge for requests.
TERMINATION
Ending relationships can be difficult. Therefore, it is important to have a termination process in order to achieve some closure. The appropriate length of the termination depends on the length and intensity of the treatment. Termination of treatment may occur after appropriate discussion with you. Treatment may also terminate if it is determined the psychotherapy is not being effectively used or if you are in default on payment. Therapists have the right to make referrals to other therapists if he/she does not feel the client’s needs can be appropriately met at Keystone Wellness Therapy LLC. Therapy is a process that requires rapport and connection. Not every counselor can be expected to “connect” with every person and both counselor and client have the right to terminate therapy if the therapeutic connection and rapport cannot be established for any reason. Therapeutic relationship will not be terminated without first discussing and explaining the reasons and purpose of terminating when possible. If therapy is terminated for any reason, or you request another therapist, a list of qualified psychotherapists to treat you can be provided and/or a specific referral will be provided. You may also choose someone on your own or from another referral source.
Should you fail to schedule an appointment for six consecutive weeks, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, for legal and ethical reasons, we must consider the professional relationship discontinued and services will be terminated. After three late cancelations and/or no shows counselor may choose to terminate the therapeutic relationship as the client is not demonstrating commitment to the therapeutic process.