Posted by Mashogr8 on March 3, 2003, at 16:28:39
In reply to Re: What is normal for new psychiatrist visits, posted by Cindybee on March 2, 2003, at 6:49:34
Blue Cross/Blue Shield is so stingy with reimbursement for psychiatric serveices that very few practitioners are willing to to be considered participating physicians. My therapist and my psychiatrist are no longer preferred providers for any insurance plan never mind the Blue Cross program. Their feeling is that they do not want to be dictated to by the insurance company, for abmount of time allowed or the type of therapy. I pay both of my therapists out of pocket and submit my own claim for insurance payment. I definitely pay more out of pocket but I trust who I am seeing(for their expertise) and I know that they are good enough to support themselves without cowtowing to the insurance company. My psychotherapist feels that the quality of therapy could be adversely affected by preventing people from freedom of choice without a lot of grief when filing claims.
I wonder if the office that you went to was on Hope Street. The office I am thinking of is used by psychiatrists working for/with a number of Medicaid patients. These pdocs definitely do not get adequate support from the state with cleaning services which a private therapist m8ght be able to hire. If the facility was off Blackstone Blvd., some of those offices are better cared for than others. That facility has had to cut pdocs and therapists as well as housekeeping staff.
Having to take phone calls during a scheduled session reinforces their overworked life. Find someone better. There are good pschiatrists here -- they just cost an awful lot. But if we don't take things in our own hands no one else will. Good luck.
I don't think some of the physicians that Ivan Goldberg listed are seeing private patients. My understanding is that one of them is the physician who oversees a number of drug trials or works with hospitalized patients.
poster:Mashogr8
thread:204601
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030301/msgs/205568.html