Treatment
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
All of the providers at Stillpoint Mental Health are offering appointments through telehealth, and some of the doctors are seeing patients in person at the office. All patients MUST be present in the state of Illinois at the time of their appointment. If you choose a telehealth visit, you will receive a call from our staff asking for your copay or payment before the appointment begins. If you have an in-office appointment, you must arrive 15 minutes before the appointment to complete the registration process. Arriving late may shorten the length of time available with the doctor and is discouraged. Whether in person or through telehealth, your first appointment will last about 45 minutes. You will be asked many general and specific questions about yourself, your life, past history, what causes you stress, what symptoms you have recently experienced, and the reason for your visit.
It is important to be completely honest in order to have the best possible outcome in your treatment. Remember, everything you tell your doctor is completely confidential, no one is judging you or your behavior, and the doctor's office is a safe place to talk about anything that may be troubling you. If you think you might forget some things you want to tell the doctor, it is okay to bring a short list with you. (Unfortunately, there is often not enough time to address a large number of concerns in a single visit.) Because there are no lab tests that can diagnosis most psychiatric illnesses, the doctor will have to base their diagnosis on the information they get from you. Sometimes the doctor may be considering more than one possibility, but they will typically tell you what they think is most likely.
Once a diagnosis is made, you will be given information about your treatment plan. It may include suggestions to exercise or change some of your daily habits, a recommendation to talk with a therapist, or a trial of medication. You can ask questions about your diagnosis and treatment plan to ensure your complete understanding.
How To Be Prepared For Your First Appointment
We will need the following before your appointment:
- A photo ID such as a Driver's license
- Your insurance card
- (or a method of payment for the first visit)
- Your completed registration paperwork
- A list of medications you are currently taking
- A list of any psychiatric drugs you have tried in the past
- Your medical doctor's name and address or phone number
- Any other documents you consider important for the doctor to know about
- Follow Up Appointments
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If you are prescribed medication the doctor will want to see you again soon to make sure you are tolerating the medicine well and that you are feeling better. Follow-up appointments vary in length depending on whether your doctor is doing brief psychotherapy with you or if you only need a medication management visit. Follow up appointments generally last about 20 minutes (unless your insurance only allows the doctor to perform a brief medication management visit).
- Insurance
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We know that understanding an insurance company’s mental health benefits can be confusing. If your coverage is paid directly by a company that we have a contract with, we will bill claims directly to your insurance carrier. In some instances though, mental health benefits are determined and paid by another company that we don’t have a contract with. In those cases, after you pay for your visit, we will provide you with a form you can submit to your insurance to request reimbursement to you directly.
Insurance We Accept & Bill:
• Advocate (Magellan)
• Blue Cross PPO
• Cigna
• Medicare
• United Healthcare