I. Scheduling an Initial Appointment/Consultation: To request an initial appointment, please call Dr. Mandell at the office number and leave your name, call-back number, and the reason for your request and referral source. To maintain optimal patient confidentiality, it is preferable to avoid making referrals or requests for appointments by text or electronically. The first appointment with Dr. Mandell is usually during the daytime, as patients are more alert during the day hours, and results of the examination are often improved. After the initial evaluation process, Dr. Mandell will do her best, subject to availability, to accommodate a patient's request about an appointment day and time.
II. Preparing for the First Visit: It is recommended that you and your referring professional provider contact Dr. Mandell with a brief description of your condition and your reasons for seeking therapy. Telephone communication is recommended for privacy reasons and optimal patient confidentiality. Dr. Mandell is available for a brief phone discussion, upon request, to address questions about her professional office fees and billing practice.
A. Registration Packet:
The registration packet includes forms that give consent and medical information, all of which are necessary for Dr. Mandell to have on file for regulatory purposes and optimal clinical care and management planning. A completed registration packet must be available to Dr. Mandell prior to the first visit. Please make sure that you have your insurance and pharmacy information available beforehand, as well as the credit card you wish to be kept on file.
IMPORTANT UPDATE for all patients: Current personal information, including address, insurance, pharmacy, credit card changes, etc., is required. Due to the continuance of virtual sessions, in-office updating of forms is often not feasible. To that end, to make any necessary updates and changes, please access the registration form ( click the registration button below ), provide any and all changes, sign and date, and return to the office via email or secure contact buttons below.
REGISTRATION FORM
For in office consults, the packet will be given to you upon your arrival for you to complete in the waiting area before the actual consultation session. If you prefer to complete the packet of forms prior to the first visit, you may request that it be sent to you electronically (email). You may either send the packet back by email (see below re: the secure encrypted email service) or bring it in the day of the consultation appointment.
For virtual telepsychiatry consults, a registration packet will be sent to you electronically. Dr. Mandell subscribes to NeoCertified , a secure email encryption service. If requested, the forms will be sent to you via this service. As well, the SECURE CONTACT BUTTON below will allow for return of confidential information via a NeoCertified encrypted email. The registration packet, in its entirety, must be sent back and received by Dr. Mandell before the initial visit. Prior to the visit , the virtual audio/visual platform to be used for your consultation will be determined in order to facilitate the introductory process.
B. Insurance Coverage for Dr. Mandell's Services:
Like most New York City psychiatrists, Dr. Mandell is an out-of-network provider, which means she does not contract with any insurance companies. Likewise, she is not enrolled in nor accepts Medicare insurance. Clarification about your insurance, professional fees, and payment options is highly recommended before your initial appointment to prevent any miscommunications or unexpected charges. If you have out-of-network coverage, Dr. Mandell will provide you with a monthly correctly coded invoice for you to submit to your insurance carrier for reimbursement, unless other arrangements have been made.
Calling your insurance carrier directly to find out details about your coverage is always an advisable course of action if you have an insurance plan with out-of-network benefits. Important questions to ask would include:
1) If you have out-of-network coverage.
2) If you have a deductible, the amount, and how much you have met to date.
3) What percentage of the fees you cover before your out of pocket is met, i.e. your coinsurance until the insurance company pays 100% of what they allow for the billed services.
4) What your insurance company plan allows or deems as "reasonable and customary," which means the rate at which they will reimburse for your therapy.
5) What forms you need to submit claims and the address for submission of the applications.
It is important to know that each insurance plan approves different allowance coverage, based on length of time, the level of intensity of clinical management, and care for various types of services provided. Dr. Mandell will do her best to assist you in this process.
III. The Initial Consultation Day: It is important to arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointed time if an in-person office consultation. Dr. Mandell will come out personally to greet you and give you forms needed to complete registration. Arriving early will allow you time to complete the forms and allow for the consultation to begin as promptly as possible for the full length of time appropriated for you.
NOTE: For telemedicine consultation/first visits, the above does not apply. Please be logged on and ready for Dr. Mandell to reach out to you at your appointed time and via the predetermined choice of telehealth platform.
Dr. Mandell typically allots 45-60 minutes for the initial evaluation. To complete a full assessment, formulate a treatment plan, and recommendation, it is often necessary to require more than one full session. There are specific pieces of your personal, medical, social, academic, and family history that are useful and necessary to formulate your individually designed plan for optimal success in achieving therapy goals.
IV. Fees and Payment Policy: The initial consultation fee will be provided upon request. Thereafter, Dr. Mandell will discuss fees for anticipated services going forward with a Good Faith Estimate of costs for your treament in accordance with the No Surprises Act.
Payment is due at the time of all services, unless other arrangements have been met. For all visit, including initial consultation, a current credit card must be on file before the visit. Cash, check, and credit card are all acceptable forms of payment. Regardless of the form of payment, a valid credit card number will be kept securely on file in Dr. Mandell's private office.
V. Missed Appointments or Late Cancellations: Any appointment missed or not cancelled at least 2 business days (48 hrs) in advance, will be charged in full to the credit card on file. Such charges are not subject to insurance reimbursement.
V. Emails and Texts: Caution: These forms of communication are to be reserved for administrative purposes only, such as scheduling of appointments, requesting medication renewals, etc. Updates and questions that require discussion are to be addressed in scheduled sessions and not via text nor email.This policy is also intended to prevent the transmission of private and personal information a patient wishes to remain confidential. Dr. Mandell does have a NeoCertified secure encrypted service for email communication, which is available, free of charge, to her patients, when requested.
VI. Emergencies for established patients: In the event of an emergency, you may first try to reach Dr. Mandell at 212 988-5400 (Do not send an email or text). Please leave a message describing the nature of the emergency with a contact number, so that Dr. Mandell can return the call as soon as possible. In the event that you are unable to reach her immediately, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency (ER) and have the ER physician contact Dr. Mandell once the situation has been safely stabilized .
Secure Contact
