Clinical Practice
Services
My practice is limited to psychotherapy with or without medication for adults appropriate for an outpatient level of care.
Consultation
The consultation phase includes a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and differential treatment planning. It may occur in one longer session or over the course of multiple sessions, depending on the complexity of your case and your completion of intake forms. After an assessment of your presenting difficulties, we'll review your treatment goals, and discuss treatment options, whether or not I'm able to provide them. Please carefully consider this information and your own assessment of whether you feel comfortable working with me. Mental health treatment involves a commitment of time, money and energy, so you should be very thoughtful in selecting your provider. If you have questions about my procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise and, if your concerns or doubts persist, I will be happy to help you secure an appropriate consultation with another mental health professional. Please note, consultations are not a guarantee of treatment.
Follow-Up Treatment
If we agree to work together, each subsequent session will consist of psychotherapy with or without the use of medication. The duration, number, and frequency of sessions will depend on mutually established treatment goals.
Billing
Fees
The following may be reassessed and adjusted each January:
45-min Consultation and Treatment $300.
30-min Treatment $200.
Additional time spent on other professional services such as preparation of formal reports, treatment summaries or records, attendance at meetings or consultations with other professionals, which you have authorized, or telephone conversations exceeding 10 minutes will be billed at an hourly rate of $400 per hour. Other miscellaneous fees include: Medical records handling/copying ($30 plus $1.15 per page for the first 30 pages and $0.90/page thereafter) and bounced checks ($35 per check).
Insurance
I accept UPMC commercial plans (excluding For You and For Life products) and Blue Cross Blue Shield (e.g., Highmark).
Out of Network Benefits
When you receive care outside of your insurer’s preferred network, it does not mean you always have to bear 100% of the cost of your treatment. Some insurance plans include partial coverage of services (e.g., 80%) after a certain amount is paid (i.e., deductible). As a courtesy, I am able to submit claims for services on your behalf to your insurer but you are still responsible for the non-covered balance.
Good Faith Estimate
Under the “No Surprises Act,” you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. This law requires health care providers to give patients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call Frank A. Fetterolf, MD at 412-832-9949
Cancellations and No-Shows
I will bill you $150 for late cancellations and for no-shows. A late cancellation is when you cancel less than 48 hours before your appointment. The late cancellation fee may be avoided by rescheduling your appointment within 1-week; however, alternate times may be limited. I waive one late cancellation or no-show per year if there are extenuating circumstances. Please note that insurance companies do not reimburse for missed appointment charges. You may opt for a tele-session instead of a late cancellation.
Contact
I monitor my messages frequently and return those of established patients by the end of my day and I also review my messages on weekends and holidays between 5 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.
Phone Calls
My office telephone number is 412-832-9949. I am often not immediately available because I am with a patient. For urgent matters which require my immediate attention, you have the option to page me from the main line.
Email and Patient Portal
E-mail is not always secure. Therefore, I prefer using a HIPAA-compliant secure messaging through my patient portal (portal.drfrank.me) for communication. Here you can also schedule appointments and pay your bill.
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room or call an emergency crisis service: 911, 1-800-273-TALK (24/7 National Hotline), or 888-796-8226 (Re:solve Crisis Center). Please do not wait for me to return your message before taking appropriate action.
Privacy
I value the protection of your confidentiality as fully as the law allows. I will not release information about you to anyone without informing you first, and in almost all cases only after you give me clear permission. There are a few circumstances where the law requires me to disclose information even without your permission. A valid subpoena by the court may force me to release records or testify about your case. Child or dependent-elder abuse must be reported. An immediate risk of self-harm (suicide), inability to care for yourself, or clear intent to hurt others forces me to breach your confidentiality to maintain the physical safety of yourself or others. Please note that suicidal or violent feelings— feelings about anything really — are not reportable in themselves, and that talking about such feelings in confidence can be the best way to defuse them.