Our office is self-pay only, and we do not accept insurance at this time. One important reason is because your privacy is very important to us. Confidentiality and privacy are typically compromised when filing claims with insurance because a third party is involved in your treatment. In order to use your insurance coverage (out-of-network or in-network), you must qualify for a mental disorder diagnosis, which will become part of your permanent medical record. This information can also be viewed by employees of both the insurance company, managed care company, and potentially by your employers. This all puts your privacy at risk. Furthermore, insurance and managed care companies can decide if they think your treatment is “medically necessary” and even deny paying for services. They often impose limits on number of therapy sessions permitted as well.

By paying out of pocket, we can assure you the highest degree of privacy and flexibility. We do not have to share your protected health information with anyone (unless you specifically ask us to in writing). Our practice takes pride in providing appropriate mental health services to our patients. By not going through insurance, we are able to work together to determine the course of treatment which will be most helpful to you, rather than leaving that up to a representative from the insurance company.

We certainly understand financial constraints and the need to use health insurance, however. Upon request, we can provide you with receipts of payment that you may then submit to your insurance company for reimbursement of out-of-network services. Reimbursement rates can vary based upon your coverage. Please check your policy carefully and be sure to call your insurance company to determine your out-of-network benefits. Please understand you (not your insurance company) are ultimately responsible for all of your professional fees due to Progressing Minds, PLLC.

For information on our self-pay rates, please visit our Fees page.

Due to the nature of our small practice, we are not set up to respond immediately to a crisis. Please note we do not provide emergency services or 24-hour emergency on-call coverage. If you experience an emergency requiring immediate attention, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room for assistance. You can also contact any of the following mental health hotline numbers:

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988

Línea de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis (En Español): 1-888-628-9454

24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “Start” to 741-741

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE(4673)

The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233   

Please visit our Self-Help Resources page for more local and national resources.

You may call, email, or submit your inquiry through the contact form on our website. Reaching out by email or using our contact form is preferred and likely to get a quicker response. It’s helpful to include your primary reasons for seeking therapy (using brief descriptions, such as anxiety/stress, relationship difficulties, career changes, etc.) to make sure they are areas within our scope of practice. We will inform you if we have openings, or we may refer you to a local colleague if our schedules or areas of expertise do not match up. We may suggest scheduling a brief phone call to make sure we are a good fit in terms of your specific needs, our scope of practice, and our availability/schedules. Once we determine we are a good fit, we will set up an appointment for your initial consultation (50-55 minute session).

Notice of Psychologists’ Policies and Practices to Protect the Privacy of Your Health Information

At Progressing Minds, PLLC, we prioritize the privacy and confidentiality of our clients. This Privacy Policy outlines how we use and protect your personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). By engaging with our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

I. YOUR PSYCHOLOGIST’S PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION:

Your psychologist understands that health information about you and your health care is personal and is committed to protecting that information. A record of the care and services you receive from your psychologist is created to ensure quality care and to comply with legal and ethical requirements. This notice applies to all records of your care generated by this mental health care practice. It outlines the ways in which your psychologist may use and disclose health information about you, as well as your rights regarding the health information kept about you, and certain obligations regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. Your psychologist is required by law to:

• Ensure that protected health information (PHI) that identifies you is kept private.
• Provide you with this notice of legal duties and privacy practices concerning your health information.
• Follow the terms of this notice that is currently in effect.
• Notify you of any changes to this notice, which will apply to all information held about you. The updated notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.

II. HOW YOUR PSYCHOLOGIST MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:

The following categories describe various ways your psychologist may use and disclose health information. Although not every use or disclosure is listed, all permitted uses and disclosures fall within one of these categories.

• For Treatment, Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules/regulations allow health care providers with a direct treatment relationship with the patient to use or disclose personal health information for their treatment only if it is determined to be a requirement.
• Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit, your psychologist may disclose health information if legally obligated by a court order or lawful process. This may include subpoenas, discovery requests, or other lawful requests.

III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

• Psychotherapy Notes: Any use or disclosure of psychotherapy notes requires your authorization unless it is required by law and/or psychologist requirements set by licensing board.
• Marketing Purposes: Your psychologist will not use or disclose PHI for marketing purposes.
• Sale of PHI: PHI will not be sold as part of business operations.

IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

Your psychologist may use or disclose PHI without your authorization:

• When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law.
• For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
• For judicial and administrative proceedings, as required by law. This includes responding to a court or administrative order.
• For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on our premises.
• For workers’ compensation purposes. If you have filed a worker’s compensation claim, we may be required to disclose records relating to your diagnosis and treatment to your employer’s insurance carrier.

V. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES IN EMERGENCIES:

Disclosures to Family, Friends, or Others: Your psychologist may disclose PHI to a designated emergency contact only in the event of an emergency.

VI. YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI:

• The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask your psychologist not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. We are not required to agree to your request, and your psychologist may say “no” if we believe it would affect your health care.
• The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.
• The Right to Choose How Your Psychologist Sends PHI to You. You have the right to ask your psychologist to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and we will agree to all reasonable requests.
• The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that our practice has about you. Your psychologist will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it, if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request, and we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for doing so.
• The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which your psychologist has disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided them with an Authorization. Your psychologist will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list they will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. Your psychologist will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, you will be charged a reasonable cost-based fee for each additional request.
• The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe there is a mistake in your PHI, or that a piece of important information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request that your psychologist correct the existing information or add the missing information. Your psychologist may say “no” to your request, but they will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
• The Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
• The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your privacy rights, please contact us at:

Progressing Minds, PLLC

18838 Stone Oak Pkwy, Suite 103

San Antonio, TX 78258

[email protected]

CHANGES TO PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the new notice provisions effective for all PHI that we maintain. Progressing Minds, PLLC will provide you with a revised notice either in person, by mail, e-mail, or on our website.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE
This notice went into effect on July 20, 2017. A paper copy of this notice of privacy practices is available to you at any time upon request.

The No Surprises Act requires health care providers and health care facilities to inform individuals who are uninsured or who are seeking services outside of their insurance plan to receive, both orally and in writing, a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) of expected charges.

The GFE shows the costs of items and services that are reasonably expected for services provided. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate was created.​

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your health care services will cost. Your psychologist at Progressing Minds will discuss your treatment goals and recommended session frequency during your initial consultation. We will revisit your therapy needs on an ongoing basis, with your collaboration. Your total cost of services will depend upon the number of therapy sessions you attend, your individual circumstances, and the type and amount of services that are provided to you. The GFE is not a contract and does not obligate you to obtain any services from Progressing Minds, PLLC, and you may discontinue treatment at any time.

​For more information about your rights and protections against surprise health care bills, visit cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers.