Treatment Population:
Newton Wellesley Eating Disorders and Behavioral Medicine provides outpatient behavioral health services for individuals with eating disorders and their families. An individual must be 18 years of age or older and have graduated from high school.
What will happen when I make an appointment?
Your initial consultation will typically be 45 to 50 minutes in duration. On occasion, more than one session will be required in order to make comprehensive recommendations to you. It may be necessary to contact, with your permission, previous health care professionals with whom you have consulted in order to offer useful recommendations.
An initial treatment plan will be generated, with your input and agreement, following the consultation. Should circumstances change, and any aspect of this plan no longer seem relevant or appropriate to you, it is critical that you bring this up in session. You have the right to ask questions about your care and treatment plan and are encouraged to do so.
We do not offer group therapy.
How does payment work?
Behavioral Medicine evaluations and treatment are billed under insurance plan mental health benefits. All Massachusetts insurance plans have outpatient mental health coverage. Some insurance plans have managed care review for coverage. It is important to check your policy or call your insurance company to see what coverage you have. If you have health insurance coverage, please bring your insurance card to the first appointment.
In most instances your health insurance will pay for a substantial portion of behavioral medicine services. You will be responsible for any co-payments, which should be paid at the time of the appointment. Your insurance company can tell you what those will be.
What insurance plans are accepted?
Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, Aetna Student Health, Tufts, United Behavioral Health, Magellan and others.
How does managed care work with behavioral and mental health?
If your coverage is with a managed care plan or HMO such as HMO Blue, Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare or Tufts Health Plan the managed care company or HMO must authorize the services. If they have not authorized services, you will be responsible for the charges. Thus, if you have been so instructed (or your insurance card notes that you should) you must call your insurer to get authorization prior to or on the same day as your first visit. Most managed care plans require the subscriber to call an "800" number for precertification of the initial consultation visit as well as further treatment services. As mental health coverage, under which behavioral medicine evaluation and treatment services are billed, is mandated by Massachusetts state law, initial approval for evaluation and treatment is generally quite simple based upon the call to the insurance company "800" number.
When you call your insurer to obtain pre-certification, be sure to request (and write down) the pre-certification number as well as the number of visits approved.
Payment of any insurance company outlined co-payments (and deductibles) is expected at the time of the visit. Please obtain information from your insurer as to co-payment amounts for the initially approved visits, deductibles and co-payment amounts for additional visits beyond those initially approved.
NO SHOW/CANCELLATION POLICY
If you are unable to attend an appointment, 48 hours notice of cancellation is requested to reschedule your appointment and to avoid unnecessary charges. Missing an appointment without notification/ rescheduling may hinder your therapy progress as well as disrupt the schedule of your clinician and makes that time unavailable to other patients.
As outlined in the HIPAA practice disclosure form you received and signed at your first visit, if appointments are not cancelled at least 48 hours prior to the appointment, sessions are billed directly to the patient at the full standard practice fee rate. Insurance does not cover this charge.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY
If you are not going to be able to make an appointment due to a weather-related situation please call your clinician and let them know. They will have made every effort to be in the office at the appointed time to see you.
In general, the NWEDBMED offices at 10 Langley Road are closed if the Newton schools are closed; the NWEDBMED offices at 1330 Beacon Street in Brookline are closed if the Brookline schools are closed.
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