Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates Office Policies, Fees & Insurance
Emergency? Call 911 or 988. Do NOT call or email your provider. After calling 911 or 988, call your provider’s urgent line found on our Emergency Contact Numbers page.
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Gracie Yeo, MD. Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates
Watch our short video to learn how out-of-network psychiatric care and potential insurance reimbursement work at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates.
Adult Psychiatry Fees for Patients 18+
See intake forms for specific costs per visit for your provider (there is minor variation among providers)
- Nurse Practitioners: $190 medication management visits; $290 45-minute family sessions; $375 60-minute initial psychiatric consultations.
- Physicians: $290 medication management visits; $450 45-minute family sessions or therapy appointments; $525 60-minute initial psychiatric consultations.
- Psychotherapists: $160 45-minute therapy sessions; $240 60-minute initial consultations.
- Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs): $185 45-minute therapy sessions; $250 60-minute initial consultations.
- Licensed Clinical Psychologists (PhD/PsyD): $215–$230 45-minute therapy sessions; $300 60-minute initial consultations.
Adult 90-minute initial appointments with any provider are billed at 1.5 times the provider’s 60-minute initial consultation rate.
Couples therapy appointments are generally priced approximately $25 above the applicable rates listed above.
Dr. Pagnani follows a separate fee schedule. Please call our office to discuss current rates.
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fees for Patients Under 18
- Physicians: $325 medication management visits; $485 45-minute family meetings; $600 60-minute initial psychiatric evaluations; $900 90-minute initial psychiatric evaluations. A follow-up appointment is often needed before medication can be prescribed.
- Nurse Practitioners: $250 medication management visits; $385 45-minute family meetings; $675 90-minute initial psychiatric evaluations.
- Psychologists: $230 45-minute therapy sessions; $300 60-minute initial appointments. Child and adolescent therapy is currently available in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Dr. Sarah Friedman.
Neuropsychological Assessment Fees for Children, Adolescents & Adults
Neuropsychological assessment fees follow a separate schedule and vary based on the complexity and scope of testing needed. Call our scheduling team to discuss fees and next steps, or visit our neuropsychological assessment page for more information.
Administrative requests for children and adults, including letters, third-party forms, summaries of care, medical-record requests, and family phone discussions with patient permission, are billed at $100 per hour. The credit card on file is used for prepayment; please allow up to 14 days for completion.
Your First Psychiatric Appointment
Initial psychiatric consultations are scheduled after a brief phone conversation, and a credit card is required to reserve your appointment time. Initial evaluations are generally 60 or 90 minutes long, excluding neuropsychological assessments, and include a detailed medical and psychiatric history. Depending on your needs, your provider may recommend laboratory studies, a brief neurological examination, or—only with your permission—collaboration with medical providers, family members, or other important supports.
The initial evaluation is a consultation that allows both you and your provider to determine whether ongoing care is a good fit. Consultation fees apply regardless of whether ongoing treatment is established. If you continue care with Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates, follow-up visits may include 20-minute medication management appointments or 45-minute therapy and family sessions.
Your treatment plan may include therapy, medication management, or both. We are also happy to coordinate with your existing therapist when open communication is possible. To remain an active patient, appointments are required at least every three months, unless your provider recommends a different schedule.
Payment Policies for Psychiatric Services
Fees are due at the time of service and may be paid by cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, or Discover. Please make checks payable to “Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates” or “RPA.” Delinquent accounts may be referred to collections.
All patients must keep an active credit card on file. The card may be used for missed appointments, late cancellations, phone appointments, administrative work, letters, and family conferences. Patients who miss two appointments may be required to prepay by credit card when scheduling future visits.
These payment policies apply even when another person is paying for care. Payment does not change patient confidentiality: progress, medical records, and other protected information may only be shared with the patient’s direct consent.
Out-of-Network Psychiatric Care & Medical Insurance
Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates is an out-of-network psychiatric practice and does not bill medical insurance directly. If you have out-of-network mental health benefits, we can provide itemized bills, diagnostic information, and other documentation your insurance carrier may request for reimbursement. Patients are responsible for submitting their own claims, and reimbursement cannot be guaranteed.
Before scheduling, please contact your insurer to confirm your out-of-network behavioral health benefits and whether virtual psychiatric appointments are eligible for reimbursement. Insurance coverage for telehealth visits varies by plan.
Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates and its providers do not participate in Medicare. Practitioners who have opted out of Medicare provide services to Medicare beneficiaries under private contracts. Patients must enter into a private contract with the practitioner and are responsible for payment. Patients may not submit claims, receipts, or superbills to Medicare or seek reimbursement from Medicare for these services.
Medical Records
Our providers generally do not release patient evaluations, progress notes or therapy notes. A summary of care will be provided to patients and/or third parties when medical records are requested. The above administrative rates apply to such requests and the card on file will be used for this service.
Discharge & Closing Patient Charts
Angelo Rannazzisi, Psy.D.
A provider may close or inactivate a patient chart for reasons including voluntary termination of care, relocation, establishing care with another provider, violation of a controlled-substance agreement, failure to follow treatment recommendations, or having two missed or late-cancelled appointments within a year. A chart may also be closed when a patient needs a higher level of care, or if the provider determines that the patient’s needs fall outside the provider’s clinical scope or available resources.
If a patient is not seen for 3+ months (appointments are required at a minimum of every 3 months to remain an active patient), providers will mail or e-mail a letter stating that their chart will be closed unless the patient contacts their provider within a specified period of time. When a patient’s chart is “closed,” we are no longer able to prescribe that patient medications, schedule them for appointments, or assist them if they are in crisis. You are responsible for ensuring that you have office visits every 3 months or less (exact timing determined by your provider, exceptions made on a case-by-case basis) and for keeping your address & e-mail updated with our office. We are not responsible for letters not reaching their intended destination if you move or get a new e-mail and do not update us. If a patient’s chart is closed, and they would like additional information on resources in the community or finding a new provider, we will be happy to assist (call our office staff at 267- 358-6155 x 1 or email Scheduling@RittenhousePA.com to receive our referral list). Additional information on finding a new provider is listed on our website here. Your provider will also be happy to assist you directly. If your chart is closed, and you would like to restart care, we cannot guarantee availability or that we can see you back as a patient. It will be based on provider availability and discretion, and you may be required to have an initial 60-minute visit (above fees apply).
Transferring Between Providers at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates
Active patients who would like to transfer to another provider within Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates must first discuss the request with their current provider and complete a transfer request form through scheduling at Scheduling@RittenhousePA.com or 267-358-6155, extension 1.
Transfers require approval from both the current provider and the prospective new provider after they review the case and determine that a transfer is clinically appropriate. Patients may transfer within the practice one time. Patients who were discharged from the practice entirely (due to policy violations or the practice not having the resources to safely care for that patient, for example) may not be eligible to re-start care with a new provider within the practice.
Text Message Appointment Reminders
Our office offers optional automated text-message appointment reminders. Standard carrier messaging rates may apply. You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to an automated message from our office or asking a member of our office staff.
Missed Appointments, Late Cancellations & Weather Policy
If you need to cancel an appointment, please provide at least 48 business hours’ notice. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., excluding holidays. For example, a Tuesday noon appointment must be cancelled by the prior Friday at noon to avoid being charged the full appointment fee. Insurance does not reimburse missed-appointment or late-cancellation fees.
You may cancel by contacting your provider or our scheduling team by phone or email. If you arrive late, your provider will meet with you for the remaining scheduled time, and the full appointment fee still applies. The office remains open during most weather events unless a state of emergency is declared.
If you miss an appointment and we cannot reach you, the credit card on file will be charged for the full appointment fee. Patients who miss or late-cancel two appointments within a rolling 12-month period may be discharged from the practice and have their chart closed.
Medication Requests and Prescription Refills
Patients may call or email their provider to request prescription refills. Refill requests are processed Monday through Friday during normal business hours; please allow at least 48 business hours for processing. If you have not had an appointment within the past three months, a $25 fee applies and will be charged to the credit card on file.
Controlled medications require careful clinical oversight. Depending on your provider, DEA requirements, and the laws of the state where you live, an initial in-person appointment and an in-office visit every 90 days may be required. We cannot make exceptions to local or federal prescribing regulations.
If you are prescribed a controlled medication, regular appointments are required for refills. Lost or stolen controlled-substance prescriptions cannot be replaced. If you experience withdrawal symptoms or need urgent medical care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. We will not break our controlled medication policies because a patient states that they are having withdrawal.
Prescription of Controlled Medications
- We take the prescription of controlled medications very seriously.
- There should never be an expectation that a provider will write a patient for a controlled medication, even if the patient has previously taken a specific medication, or previously been given a diagnosis (like ADHD, Anxiety or Insomnia) by another provider.
- If a patient has neuropsychological testing, medical records from another provider, or pharmacy records showing that they previously had a specific diagnosis or previously took a specific medication, we recommend that they bring that information to their first visit for their provider to review.
- Even when our providers deem that a controlled medication may be appropriate, they often will wait until a patient’s second visit, to write it, so that they have time to call the patient’s previous pharmacies, review federal prescription databases, review records, and get additional information (like scales) completed by a patient (and often by family or significant others as well).
- If a patient feels that they “need” a controlled medication urgently prescribed, we are not the right practice for them to schedule an appointment.
- A provider disagreeing about a patient’s diagnosis or refusing to write for a controlled medication is NOT grounds for waiving the appointment fee.
Emily Bernstein, MD
Contacting Your Psychiatric Provider
Patients have access to their provider’s business phone and e-mail address. E-mail is used for scheduling and cancelling appointments, prescription requests and administrative requests only. E-mails are added to the official medical record at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates’ discretion. We can typically return calls and e-mails within 48 business hours Monday through Friday, 9AM-5PM. When patients call with questions that can be answered quickly, a fee will not be charged. If questions require a lengthy discussion (for example, any medication change), patients will be asked if they would like to schedule an office or virtual appointment (above rates apply). You will never be charged for a phone call, without your provider discussing it first. If a patient is abusing access to their provider’s phone or e-mail address, this may result in termination of care, at the provider’s discretion. Social media is not an acceptable form of communication for current or former patients (no exceptions). Patients CAN “follow” our business accounts, but they are not to use Social Media for communication. Texting is never an appropriate form of communication and business lines may not accept texts. Furthermore, your provider is not responsible for responding to any information sent via text.
Coverage When Your Provider Is Away
If your provider is out of the office, they will leave the covering provider’s information on their answering machine and in an automatic e-mail reply. For non-emergent issues, you may call the covering provider or leave a message for your provider’s return. Prescription refills will be called in Monday through Friday 9AM-5PM. He/she will be able to respond to calls within 48 business hours. Covering providers do not refill controlled substances. Patients are responsible for keeping their appointments and re-scheduling (if they cancel or miss an appointment) several weeks prior to running out of controlled substances. We are not responsible for adverse events due to failure to do so.
Mental or Physical Health Emergencies
If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency – including a severe medication reaction, a suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts with an immediate plan or intent to act, or thoughts of harming someone else – call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates cannot provide emergency care or guarantee immediate provider availability.
For urgent emotional or suicide-related support, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
After contacting emergency services or going to the ER, you may notify your Rittenhouse provider using the emergency contact information on our Emergency Contact Numbers page and share that information with the clinicians assisting you.
The 988 Lifeline confirms call, text, and chat support are available 24/7.
Contact Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates to Schedule
Call: 267-358-6155 x 1
Or Inquire Directly through our Contact Page
FAQs
Find answers to common questions about our in-office and virtual psychiatric services, appointment availability, out-of-network insurance reimbursement, and approach to mental health treatment.
Do you offer In-office Psychiatric Appointments?
Yes. We offer in-office psychiatric initial evaluations, medication management and therapy at many of our office locations. Click on our location closest to you, under “Locations” on our main menu for more information.
Do you offer Virtual Telehealth Psychiatric Appointments to my State?
We offer online psychiatric services (including psychiatric medication management) to patients living in CA, DE, FL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA, the USVI and others. Additionally, several of our therapists are licensed through PsyPACT and can provide online psychotherapy to patients in MOST states.
Are you Accepting New Patients, and is there a Wait List?
We ARE accepting new patients and appointments are typically available within 1-2 weeks for most child, adolescent and adult psychiatric services.
Do you accept insurance?
Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates is a fee-for-service (out-of-network) psychiatric practice and does not accept insurance directly. Many patients are surprised to find out that they may be able to submit our receipts to their insurance company, for partial reimbursement of our services. We recommend that patients call their insurance company and ask if they have “out-of-network” behavioral health reimbursement. Our receipts are automatically generated for patients, and our scheduling assistants can answer additional questions. After reimbursement, visit costs for our services may be similar to a co-pay cost for using in-network providers.
Why Choose Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates?
Our providers are experts in the field of Psychiatry. Most teach, or have taught, at academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, The University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Our providers are Board Certified Psychiatrists and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, and licensed Psychologists and therapists. When medication management is appropriate, we aim to utilize the lowest # of medications, at the lowest effective doses, and we will fully discuss the risks and benefits of options. We are thoughtful about the over-prescription of controlled medications. We are comprehensive and thorough, and will take into consideration your illness, personality & temperament, life-story and any history of trauma, and behaviors (both healthy, and unhealthy) when formulating a holistic treatment plan. We have subspecialists and fellowship trained experts, within our practice. We are founder owned and have never had a relationship with private equity or big business, allowing us to put patient care above all else.