Appointment Policy

An appointment is considered a mutual commitment between you and your physician. Keeping and managing the appointment is ultimately your responsibility as the patient. A 24-hour notice is required to reschedule or cancel your appointment and to avoid automatic billing for payment of your session. Appointments for which you arrive late will still end at the appointed time to honor the appointment times of other patients. As a courtesy, you may receive a reminder email for your appointment. However, responsibility for keeping your appointment is ultimately the responsibility of the patient. All patients must arrive on time for their scheduled appointment. Failure to do so will result in a fee and rescheduling (if applicable) of the appointment. 

Telemedicine

Telemedicine involves the use of electronic communications to enable the physician to connect with individuals using interactive video and audio communications. Ideally, telemedicine appointments should include both video and audio. If you do not have access to equipment needed for both video and audio appointments, an in-person appointment should be scheduled. Exceptions can be made on a case by case basis for established patients. Telemedicine information will be sent to the patient at the beginning of the day. It is the patient’s responsibility to join the virtual visit at their scheduled appointment time. As a courtesy, you may receive a reminder call to join 5 minutes after your scheduled appointment time. It is your responsibility to contact the physician if you are having technical difficulties.

Telemedicine appointments are available to all patients with the means to do so. The only exception is for prescribing a controlled substance. This includes, but is not limited to, medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, Neurontin, Klonopin, etc. By law, in order to have controlled substances prescribed, the patient must initially be seen in person. No controlled substances will be prescribed without an in-person appointment. In person appointments are not required to refill these medications.

While it is not necessary for patients to be in Birmingham, patients must be physically located in the state of Alabama during the telemedicine appointment.

Payment for Services

Abrams Psychiatry & Wellness will not bill your insurance company. We do not accept any insurances. Payment is due at the time of services. Please see fee schedule above. Patients will receive appropriate documentation that can be submitted to their insurance company for reimbursement if desired.

Privacy and HIPAA

Patient information in the electronic medical chart is accessible to other clinicians for purposes of emergency coverage if Dr. Abrams is not available. Limited information is accessible to trained staff for scheduling and medication refill purposes. However, no information about you or your care will be released to anyone outside the office without your written consent or a court order. There is no guarantee of confidentiality under the following conditions:

* If I suspect you/your child are/is in imminent danger of harm to self or others, or a child or elderly person is being abused or neglected (as I am a mandated reporter)

* If a court orders a release of information

* If you initiate a malpractice lawsuit, or a billing dispute with a financial institution

* If your insurance company requests to review your/your child’s case

* If you pay by credit card, my name will appear on your credit card statement

* If you do not pay your bill, your balance due statement (including diagnostic and procedural codes) may be sent to a collections agency or other responsible party

* Between me and my administrative staff, or colleagues with whom I consult professionally

You may complete a Release of Information for any person(s) you would like to give permission to discuss information concerning care and/or financial matters concerning your account at Abrams Psychiatry & Wellness. Children (under the age of 17) have the right to confidential exchanges with clinicians.

Medication Refills

It is your responsibility, as the patient, to notify your physician if you need a refill at your scheduled appointments. The physician reserves the right to refuse medication refills in the case of failure to show or frequently canceling your appointments whereby your medications would be refilled. This could also lead to dismissal/discharge from the practice. Please note the no refills will be called in after hours or on the weekends. Please notify the physician prior to running out of medications and allow up to 2 business days before medications are refilled.

Controlled substances (medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, Klonopin, etc) will be issued in intervals no greater than 3 months at a time. Because these medications are highly regulated, appointments must be kept in order to receive refills. In the event the the medication is lost, it will not be rewritten until the next refill time. Patients are subject to random urine drug screenings while being prescribed controlled medications. The physician reserves the right to refuse medication refill and/or dismiss a patient from the practice due to failure to complete urine drug screenings when requested.

Treatment Issues

Nonurgent phone calls and messages will be addressed during regular business hours. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response. Please do not wait until a crisis to contact the office. We are able to address routine concerns much more effectively than crisis concerns. Existing patient can call or text 205-259-6949 for urgent needs. If your concern involves a safety issue, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. Existing patients are also welcomed to schedule an urgent appointment using online scheduling.

Laboratory Policy

It may be medically necessary for lab or radiologic tests to be requested in order to provide the best treatment possible. It is your responsibility, as the patient, to obtain the requested examinations. Our office will assist you as much as possible, but testing may require you to visit another facility or lab. If you do not obtain these tests within a reasonable time, your physician reserves the right to refuse to refill or prescribe certain medications until tests are completed. Urine drug screenings are performed on patients when necessary. All patients prescribed controlled medications will have an initial drug screening and may be subject to random drug screenings after that. Any charges that may result from the urine drug screening will be the responsibility of the patent if not covered by the insurance company.

Discharge/Dismissal

On the very rare occasion, a patient may be dismissed/discharged from the practice. If you are dismissed/discharged from the practice, it means you can no longer schedule appointments, get medication refills, or consider us to be your physician. Medications will be provided at physician discretion with a minimum of 30 days. Common reasons for dismissal/discharge include failure to keep appointments, abuse (verbal or physical) to staff, failure to pay bill, etc. A letter will be sent to your listed address notifying you of dismissal/discharge.