Completing Intake Forms and Payments
East Coast Telepsychiatry is committing to help our patients to the best of our ability. To do so, we ask that you complete all forms in their entirety. All forms are emailed or can be texted to you and can be completed in typically about ten minutes. You will receive information from EAST COAST TELEPSYCHIATRY, KAREO (our medical operations system) or STRIPE (our payment processor). Once your appointment is made, please check your email and SPAM folders.
If any of the emails are in SPAM, please mark as “Not Spam”. All forms and payment must be completed at least 48 hours PRIOR to your appointment. For appointments made within the 48-hour window, all forms and payments must be completed at least TWO HOURS PRIOR to your appointment.
Once all forms are completed in their entirety, you then submit them back to us by simply hitting the “COMPLETE and SUBMIT” button. Your information is then reviewed and entered directly into your patient chart. Please be honest when completing your forms. We need as much detail as possible, so that we may fully understand your Mental Health needs and so that we can offer the best care available.
If there are questions that do not apply, please put “N/A”, or if you are uncertain about a question, you can simply put “UNKNOWN”. Please ensure to upload the photo of your driver’s license or state issued identification card so that we may authorize prescriptions if they are needed. If you do not have either, we will address that issue on a case-by-case basis.
Therapy Programs
We have several Therapy programs at East Coast Telepsychiatry. All Therapy appointments are conducted via Telepsychiatry/Remote access only. We do NOT have “In the Office” visits. To conduct your visit, you need a camera and microphone equipped desktop, laptop, or a smartphone. Once your appointment is made and confirmed, we will provide you with a “link”. Five minutes prior to your scheduled appointment, you will simply click the link provided.
Once you are in the virtual waiting room, your therapist will join in shortly. Our goal is to be on-time on all visits. We ask that you help us to do so by completing all forms and make any appropriate payment at least 24 hours prior to your visit, and that you be on-time for you scheduled visit. We offer Individual Therapy sessions as we all Group Therapy offerings.
Our programs cover Grief, Depression, Stress, Anxiety, and many other areas affecting our mental health. Different packages are available other than those listed if deemed appropriate between yourself and our Therapist, Jennifer Griffin. If you have specific question about our Therapy programs, please call our office at (843) 299-2033 and choose extension 5 to speak with Ms. Griffin.
Therapy Pricing:
30 Minute Individual Therapy Sessions = $60.00
60 Minute Individual Therapy Sessions = $120.00
Group Sessions are typically between 45 and 60 minutes. Each group session is only $40.00 per person and is also conducted by remote access from the comfort of your own home, workplace, or even while on vacation. There may be as few as two people in a group, or as many as ten, depending on the day, time of the group, and scheduling.
We also offer a GROUP THERAPY PACKAGE. The package includes four sessions for the discounted price of $120.00. This price is for the people who are committed to bettering themselves and saves a person $40.00 per month. We are a cash/self-pay practice and unfortunately do not accept insurance currently.
We are however in the process of securing the acceptance of the most common insurances used today and expect to begin insurance acceptance in approximately 90 days. All visits are conducted via Telepsychiatry/Remote access.
Mental Health/ Psychiatric Visits
The “New Patient” visit is only $259.00 and includes: A Full Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis by our provider, Ms. Pharr. Ms. Amy Pharr is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with 28 active years of experience working in the healthcare industry. We then implement a treatment program that will be created specifically for each person. We are a full-service practice and use medication management if needed, based on the decisions made between our patients and East Coast Telepsychiatry.
New patient visits consist of a video session, typically 10-30 minutes, depending on severity. After the video visit, the provider completes your note, sends prescriptions, and completes your chart, which makes the entire process 45-60 minutes for our staff. If you have “In-Network” insurance, we verify your co-pay, deductibles, and coverage and even process your claim. If you are out of network, we can provide receipts for your payment that you can use to try and seek reimbursement from your carrier. All visits are conducted via Telepsychiatry/Remote access.
A “Follow-up” visit is only $159.00. These appointments generally last 10-20 minutes, and are typically monthly, or as decided between yourself and your provider, Ms. Amy Pharr. Follow-up visits can be as often as needed, or as little as needed, depending on your case. The Follow-up visit will include a complete review of your specific situation.
Together we will evaluate progress made and discuss any issues that you feel may help with your program. We will then either continue your current treatment program or make any adjustments as needed to strengthen your Mental Health. Any medications prescribed can then be renewed, discontinued, or adjusted as, and if needed.
How Visits are Conducted
All patient visits with East Coast Telepsychiatry are conducted via Telepsychiatry/Remote access only. We do NOT have “In Office” visits. To conduct your visit, you need a camera and microphone equipped desktop, laptop, or a smartphone. Once your appointment is made, we will send you the appropriate intake forms, an invoice, and an invitation to join the “PATIENT PORTAL”. Once all forms are completed, your time will be “Confirmed”, and we will provide you with a visit “link”. Five minutes prior to your scheduled appointment, you will simply click the link provided.
Once you are in the virtual waiting room, your provider will join in shortly. Our goal is to be on-time on all visits. We ask that you help us to do so by completing all forms and make any appropriate payment at least 24 hours prior to your visit, and that you be on-time for you scheduled visit.
Same day appointments for New Patients are available if time permits to complete your intake forms and make payment prior to your scheduled visit. Typically, it takes less than 10 minutes to complete the online forms and make payment. For any “SAME DAY” appointments, please call our office at (843) 299-2033, ext. 4 so that we can ensure all steps are completed to conduct your visit.
Discounted Rates for Self-Pay
We offer discounted rates for those who do not have insurance. The New Patient rate of $259 and subsequent Follow-Up visits that are $159 may also be discounted. Please mention these discounts when scheduling if you are a self-pay patient to ensure you get the best rates offered. Past visits can not be adjusted so please inquire when scheduling!
New Patient Visits with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
We want to inform you about the billing process for your Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) policy.
Currently, we are unable to confirm specific details of your benefits, copay, and other related information. However, we can provide the following guidelines for our services:
1. Initial Visit Copay: For the initial visit under BCBS, we charge a copay of $129. The standard rate for this visit is $259.00. After we receive the remittance from BCBS, we will adjust your charges accordingly. If your actual copay is determined to be lower, we will promptly reimburse the difference.
2. Maximum Charge Guarantee: If it turns out that your copay should have been higher, please rest assured that we will not charge more than $129 for your first visit.
3. Policy Status: We have confirmed that your BCBS policy is active. However, specific details about future copays or deductibles will only be available after BCBS processes the first remittance.
4. Follow-Up Visits: In cases where you are out-of-network or have a high deductible plan, we offer a reduced rate of $129 (instead of the usual $159) for follow-up appointments.
5. Self-Verification Option: If you prefer to verify the copay details directly with BCBS, you can contact them using the NPI number 1275537037 and Tax ID 86-2592256 for Amy Pharr.
We understand the importance of this information but are currently unable to dedicate the resources to lengthy hold times for phone verification, which can average between 90 to 160 minutes. We appreciate your understanding and are here to assist with any further questions or concerns you may have regarding this process.