2023 Client SERVICES and policies Updates
Effective 1/16/2023
(Link to Client Services Agreement)
Please know that we don’t take policy changes lightly. We have rarely had policy changes or fee increases since we opened the practice in 2019. However, we have made these updates in order to continue to successfully serve and support all of our clients, compensate for many increases we have experienced in costs associated with our practice (from vendors, to rent, to benefits), and importantly, to retain our valued employees!
CANCELLATIONS for individual appointments (see specific agreements policies for groups, packages, and evaluations) - We understand that last minute things can occur and certainly illness and unexpected events crop up. However, we have seen an increased number of cancellations - especially among our recurring slot clients. We reserve your spot just for you, but because we are full and on waiting lists, these cancellations both impact our provider’s ability to serve many clients AND impact their income. Thus, we will use the following guidelines for missed appointments:
You may cancel with no charge with >48 business hours (2 business days) in advance. You must notify our office ONLY through the messaging portal, voicemail, or cancelling through our appointment reminder email/text. Though, we do not charge for cancellations outside the 48 business hour advanced notice required window, we will reserve the right to discontinue services or offer your slot to another client should you cancel/miss more than 3 appointments within a 2 month period.
If you cancel, for any reason, with less than 48 business hours notice, you will be charged a $25 missed/cancelled appointment fee. Please know that most appointments can become a virtual appointment, and we suggest that option rather than cancelling. We will offer to reschedule you, thus avoiding the fee, if you are able to re-book within the week (subject to very limited availability - we want to see you, so we will do our best!).
No show, no notice appointments will be charged the full session fee.
Please note that these cancellation policies are in place for all clients including those who use insurance. We cannot bill insurance, FSA, HSA, or grants for late cancellation fees.
We will bill these fees by charging your card on file.
SERVICE FEE INCREASES - Several individual service fees will increase over the next few weeks. Tutoring clients, clients of Casey Brasfield, LCHMCA, and individual (not group) clients of Stephanie Jordan, CCC-SLP will see increased rates associated with non-insurance based services. Please reach out to our practice coordinator, Rachel Braxton, via the portal or by calling 336-777-6617, ext 717 should you have questions about billing.
REQUIRED FORMS - We ask that your required forms be completed at least 48 business hours in advance (testing clients, refer to the evaluation agreement). We reserve the right to cancel your appointment if your forms are not complete. Remember the messaging portal shows all forms that are outstanding (don’t forget to check your child’s portal).
COMMUNICATION - We ask that you communicate through the messaging portal for nearly all reasons- billing, scheduling, questions, sharing updates, etc. The portal allows coordinated care and is the fastest way to receive a reply! Please do not communicate with your provider via their personal phones. We also discourage communication via email. Our administrative staff cannot support communication that they cannot see, thus we cannot guarantee appointments, cancellations, billing needs, etc, if you communicate outside our practice systems.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why am I charged even if I am/my child is sick?
All missed appointments whether it’s the second time or fourth is time that your provider could have been serving another client. Additionally, our office and providers get paid only when they are seeing a client therefore the cost of this time is passed along to the patient that either missed or late cancelled their appointment. Please know that we are happy to convert your appointment to a virtual appointment (or, if need be, we can switch the appointment for a child to a meeting between you and your child’s provider if that is a helpful alternative).
I didn’t get an appointment reminder. Why am I being charged a missed appointment fee?
A handy feature of our portal system is that it lists all scheduled appointments! Appointment reminders are as a courtesy. We want to see you, so we have designed our system to remind you by either email and/or text several times before an appointment - and it even allows you to choose how you’d like to be reminded. We encourage clients to verify and update contact information to ensure we have the most up-to-date information on file. Ultimately it is the client’s responsibility to write down their appointments and attend them as scheduled.