Which insurances does Dr. Spellman participate with?
Dr. Spellman is a private pay psychiatrist who does not take any insurance. She chooses not to participate with a system she considers unethical. However, for those patients who wish to seek partial reimbursement, Dr. Spellman gives them a PAPER claim form to mail to their insurance. She understands how paper protects privacy whether it involves medical records or claim forms. The electronic databases that insurances maintain are easily accessible and shared with "business associates"-whatever that means - which is allowable under HIPAA.
All insurances require that you be given a mental health diagnosis if they are paying for your mental health treatment. Many people do not realize that having a mental health diagnosis on their permanent record can hurt them either now or in in the future. It can be used as an excuse for life insurance or long-term-care insurance to be denied. It can also raise questions when people go to renew their professional licenses. For those who seek reimbursement, however, Dr. Spellman is very sensitive about not giving people diagnostic labels they do not already have. In addition, she puts only the bare essentials on the form. There is NO ACCESS to the actual records or to any confidential details.
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Another interesting fact is that when providers accept your insurance, they get paid more if they write in the records that you are doing poorly and have complicated problems for which they are treating you. This is true for any medical specialty including psychiatry.
Now that you know how the system works you can decide what is best for you.
What do I tell my insurance if I call to find out how much they would reimburse me?
If you call your insurance, tell them Dr. Spellman is an Out of Network MD-psychiatrist and that she will be spending 50 minutes with you each session. The "procedure code" for the first session is always 90792. Subsequent sessions are coded differently. The two "procedures" Dr. Spellman will typically combine during those subsequent 50-minute sessions will be an Evaluation and Management code and a Psychotherapy add-on code. Typically she will be combining 99213 (Evaluation and Management) with 90836 (Add-on Psychotherapy).
If you are seeking medication management without psychotherapy the procedure code would typically be 99214.
Are Dr. Spellman's fees affordable?
Dr. Spellman offers a highly discounted 4- session package since most people need at least 4 sessions to get back on track. These 4 sessions will be scheduled within an 8-week time frame. This allows enough time and flexibility to address your initial issues. Some people feel this is very valuable in order to either get started on the correct medication - or to resolve a particular problem that is bothering them, They then move on. Other people repeat the 4-session package as many times as they feel comfortable doing. Call or text Dr. Spellman for fees and details. She will want to speak with you briefly and learn what your needs are to see if she thinks she can help you - before she makes an appointment with you.