General Clinic Policies

LinMed Behavioral Health offers comprehensive psychiatric and behavioral health services to patients ages twelve and up. Please read these policies thoroughly, and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. LinMed Behavioral Health will assist with referrals if we cannot meet your needs, or you require a higher level of care. Thank you for choosing LinMed Behavioral Health for your and your family's behavioral healthcare needs.

Appointments

• Appointments are scheduled according to each patient's needs and the provider's availability.
• Upon confirmation of your appointment, you will receive access to our "Patient Portal." You must complete and submit all paperwork at least 24 hours before your appointment.
• Please remember that the time of your appointment is reserved for you alone.
• There are no telephone appointments. We conduct All appointments via a secure, HIPAA compliant Telehealth platform.

Cancellations and No-Show Policy

• Patients who are 15 minutes late for a 30-minute or 20 minutes late for a 60-minute appointment would be considered a "no show."
• If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please notify us at least 24 business hours in advance via your "Patient Portal" or leave a voicemail on our answering machine.
• A missed appointment, "no show," or late cancellation will result in a fee of $75 charged to the card on file. Please note that insurance companies do not pay for late or missed appointments. It is your responsibility.
• LinMed Behavioral Health reserves the right to terminate the patient-provider relationship if a patient accumulates three or more "no shows."

Maintaining Patient Status

• To maintain patient status, you must be seen at least every 90 days or more frequently as prescribed by the treatment plan. 
• If you fail to keep or maintain follow-up appointments for 120 days or greater, we will assume that you have terminated the patient-provider relationship.

Benzodiazepine Policy

Providers at LinMed Behavioral Health do not prescribe benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, etc., to treat anxiety. In the rare event that we do, it will be for a limited quantity and short duration. This is consistent with current treatment guidelines and practice recommendations against prolonged use of benzodiazepines because they worsen anxiety symptoms and cause cognitive decline. Benzodiazepines also have high abuse potential, the risk for dependence and tolerance, and can be fatal in overdose, especially when combined with alcohol and/or opioid medications.

Phone Calls

• Please leave a detailed message with the patient's name and callback number.
• We will return all routine calls within 48 business hours
• Please do not leave a message for emergency help. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911.

Payment Policy

• Payment for service is due in full at the time of service
• We require that a credit card be placed on file before services are rendered.

Refill Policy

All medication refill requests are handled during your regularly scheduled appointments. If a medication refill becomes necessary, please contact us at least two business days before you run out of medication. Refill requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• A prescription for 30 days will be given on the first appointment. We cannot provide a 90-day prescription on the initial visit.
• We do not provide medication refills after hours, weekends, or on holidays.
• We do not offer refills for lost or stolen controlled substance prescriptions. If your medication is lost or stolen and you have difficulty with withdrawal symptoms, you should go to the nearest emergency room.
• We will not respond to pharmacy-initiated refill requests due to administrative reasons. Please OPT OUT of automatic refill service if offered by your pharmacy.
• We require an appointment with your provider if you need your medication dose adjusted or want to be started on a new medication.

Court Support Services and Other Fees

• FMLA/Disability: We do not perform FMLA/disability evaluations
• Emotional Support Animals: We do not offer patient evaluations or assessments for patients whose primary purpose is to get an emotional support animal. We provide documentation to established patients that have been working with us for at least 90 days and maintained all scheduled appointments.
• Court fees: If we receive a subpoena to appear in court on your behalf, there is a $350 per hour charge. The hourly charge is billed for preparation, travel time, and anytime spent with the attorney/clerk for preparations. Travel time will also be billed to you. The minimum charge of $1000 is required to be paid in advance.