Policies

Fees

Gladstone providers participate in network for several insurance companies. Gladstone is in network with the following health insurance companies: CareFirst, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cigna and United Healthcare/Optum. (Please note, Gladstone is not in network for Medicaid [Medical Assistance] or Medicare.) Patients may file for individual reimbursement if their insurance company is not one of these. If your provider works with your insurance company, your fee will simply be your copay once you’ve met your health plan’s annual deductible amount. Otherwise, your charges will be as below:

• Intake MD appt.—$325
• Intake NP appt.—$300
• Follow-up MD appt.—$225
• Follow-up NP appt.—$200
• Therapy Intake appt.—$250
• Therapy follow-up appt.—$175
• C/A Parent Intake appt.—$250
• C/A Parent follow-up—$175
• Family therapy appt.—$175

For those new patients already scheduled for an upcoming appointment, you may get a head start on intake paperwork and fill out your forms to bring in with you for the initial intake.

• Child and Adolescent Intake Packet
• Adult Intake Packet
• Authorization to Release or Request Healthcare Information (Blank)
• Authorization to Release or Request Healthcare Information (Primary Care Physician)
• Authorization to Release or Request Healthcare Information (School/School District)
• Authorization to Release or Request Healthcare Information (Therapist)

Health Records

In general, you own your health information, and (with some exceptions) you can choose who receives this and who doesn’t. As a rule, your treatment is best when all your healthcare providers have the ability to communicate with each other. To this end, your Gladstone provider will want you to complete written releases of information so that he can contact your primary care provider, psychotherapist, and other medical professionals with whom you’re working.

Other Info

From time to time, it may make sense for your provider to speak with someone other than your formal treatment team, such as with a family member. Unless this is a true emergency situation, she or he will ask for your written consent to do so.

Exceptions

HIPAA and other laws include exceptions to strict information privacy. For example, when your Gladstone provider bills your insurance company, he will need to provide your psychiatric diagnosis and describe the type of service he provided. Also, if you present a very high risk for harm towards yourself or others, he or she will need to reach out to other people such as family, other healthcare providers, or law enforcement personnel. If there’s a legal obligation to release your records such as with a subpoena, your treatment information may be disclosed. Additionally, Maryland requires “mandated reporters” such as physicians, nurse practitioners and therapists to report current or past child abuse to child protection services.

Gladstone does not double-book patients. The time set aside for you is for you alone. Of course, there are reasons patients need to cancel an appointment, and this is fine provided you give adequate notice. The more time in advance you can cancel your appointment, the better our ability to meet the needs of other patients on waiting lists. A minimum of 24 hours notice is requested; please email appointments@gladstonepsych.com or phone 443-708-5856 (Mt. Washington) / 240-708-4334 (Columbia). A late cancellation will be treated as a no show.

No Show

Emergencies happen, and you will not be penalized for missing an appointment due to one. However, your appointment time is exclusively for you. If you miss an appointment for a reason that’s not a legitimate emergency, you will be charged $75.

Psychiatrists typically provide prescription refills to last until the next scheduled appointment. In unusual circumstances, your psychiatrist will call in prescriptions. While it might seem inconvenient, the spirit behind this policy is to ensure you’re continuing to get the right medication and right dosing for your health condition. Patients should utilize their patient portal for refill requests as a first line of defense before calling, and please allow up to 72 hours to fulfill such requests.

For routine matters, patients should call their psychiatrist using the office phone, 443-708-5856 (Mt. Washington) / 240-708-4334 (Columbia). Staff will return calls as soon as they can.

For emergencies, patients may contact their clinician as agreed as part of a treatment plan. However, Gladstone providers don’t provide treatment or appointment time over the phone, so most calls will be focused on setting up the next appointment as soon as possible.

For each listed holiday, the office will be closed and front desk staff will not be available.

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King’s Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Friday after Thanksgiving (“Black Friday”)
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• New Year’s Eve