Practice Policies

Please review the following policies to ensure the practice is suitable for your needs.

Cancellation Policy

• A scheduled appointment may be canceled free of charge if notice is given 48 hours prior to the appointment.
• If less than 48 hours notice given for cancellation, a late cancellation or ‘no-show’ fee of $175 will apply.
• New patients who do not show or cancel with less than 48 hours notice for their first appointment will not be rescheduled.
• New patients may reschedule initial appointments once with more than 48 hours notice. Subsequent attempts to reschedule will result in cancellation of appointment.
• Patients are responsible for insuring their ability to connect to scheduled telehealth appointments. If you are unable to participate or you are more than 5-minutes late for a scheduled online appointment due to issues with internet connectivity, software, other technical issues, or if you are not physically located with the state of Texas the visit may be considered a ‘no-show’ with accompanying late-cancellation-fee of $175. If you are unsure of your ability to connect to an appointment, please contact us prior to any session and we can assist with verifying your ability to connect and with troubleshooting any technical issues.

Late Policy

• Please arrive on time for your appointment. Patients arriving more than 5-minutes late may be considered a ‘no-show’.

Payment Policies

• Payment is due at time of service. Out-of-pocket fees associated with appointments are charged to the payment method on file on the morning of the day the session is scheduled.
• Patients with outstanding balances will not be allowed to schedule additional follow up appointments.
• Ventana Mental Health provides in-network care through select insurance providers.
• Upon request, self-pay patients will be issued a super bill of services rendered that can be submitted to your health insurance provider directly for out-of-network reimbursement. It will be their decision to reimburse, partially or in-full, for the services provided.
• The appropriate frequency of follow up appointments is determined at the discretion of your provider.

Medication Refill Policy

• Refill requests need to be submitted at least 3 business days in advance of the date they are needed. It is your responsibility to contact the office before you run out of medications. Refills will not be issued if a patient has no scheduled follow up or has missed or canceled scheduled follow-ups.
• Medication changes are not made outside of scheduled appointments. Patients seeking modification of treatment plans must schedule follow up.

Controlled Substance Policy

• Controlled substances are prescribed judiciously when appropriate clinically.
• No early refills will be provided for lost or stolen prescriptions of any controlled substance without evidence of a police report.
• Urine drug screening may be required to be obtained by patients prior to prescription of any controlled substance.

Ketamine and Spravato® Treatment Policies

• Ventana Mental Health provides in-office ketamine and Spravato® (esketamine) treatment in accordance with FDA and REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) requirements. The following policies apply:
• Treatment Setting: All ketamine and Spravato® treatments must be administered in-office under direct medical supervision. At-home use of prescribed ketamine from this clinic is not permitted unless specifically authorized under a separate program.
• Appointment Length: Patients should expect treatment sessions to last approximately 2 hours for Spravato® and 1–2 hours for sublingual ketamine. This includes observation and monitoring time.
• Supervision and Monitoring: Vital signs will be taken before, during, and after treatment. Patients must remain in the office until they are clinically cleared for discharge by staff.
• Transportation: Patients may not drive or operate heavy machinery until the day following treatment. You must arrange for a responsible adult to transport you home after each session. 
• Missed or Late Arrivals: Because treatments require significant staff time and preparation, late cancellations, ‘no-shows,’ or arriving more than 15 minutes late may result in a $175 late fee and forfeiture of that session.
• Insurance Coverage: Spravato® is typically billed to insurance, subject to copays, deductibles, and prior authorization. Ketamine treatments outside Spravato® are self-pay. Payment is due at time of service.
• Eligibility and Safety: Continued participation in treatment requires compliance with monitoring, follow-ups, and safety protocols. Patients who repeatedly miss appointments, fail to arrange safe transportation, or demonstrate inability to comply with treatment requirements may be discontinued from ketamine/Spravato® services.
• Emergencies: Patients experiencing medical or psychiatric emergencies outside of scheduled sessions should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. This clinic does not provide crisis services.

Termination Of Care Policy

• Initial consultations are consultations only and do not reflect the establishment of a doctor-patient relationship and are not a guarantee of services nor a commitment to providing care.
• Care may be terminated if it is determined the practice is not suited to meeting your needs due to a lack of compatibility or need for higher level of care.
• If care is terminated, you will be provided 30 days-notice of termination as well as a list of options to continue receiving care. During that time you will continue to receive refills of medication.

Communication Policy

• Methods of contact with the practice outside scheduled appointments are through the practice phone number and through secure messaging within the patient portal.
• Communication with your provider directly between appointments is through our secure messaging portal only. Your provider may call you to address your care needs after receiving your message.
• Phone calls outside scheduled appointments longer than 5-minutes will be billed in 10 minute increments at a rate of $50 per 10 minute increment.
• Medication changes are not made outside of scheduled appointments.

Patient Forms Policy

• All forms, documentation, letters, other paperwork requested will be completed during scheduled appointment time. Please let us know prior to appointment by sending a secure message if this is something you will need at your appointment.
• All examinations are for treatment purposes only. We do not provide evaluations or assessments for any form of accommodation or occupational purpose to include disability, military service connection, or service animals.

Emergency Policies

• Ventana Mental Health does not provide same-day, walk-in, crisis, or emergency services. We also do not provide services outside of posted business hours. Patients experiencing medical or psychiatric emergency including psychiatric crisis, adverse effects of medication, thoughts of suicide, or thoughts of hurting others should present to the nearest emergency room or dial 9-1-1 for immediate assistance.
• All patients are required to maintain an emergency contact on file with the practice.

Telehealth Policies

• An emergency contact must be on file for all patients during telehealth appointments.
• Telehealth appointments must be conducted while in a safe and private place in a manner similar to in-office appointments. Appointments will need to be rescheduled and may be considered a ‘no-show’ with accompanying late-cancellation-fee of $175 if patients are unable to participate suitably due to being in an unsafe place (i.e. while operating a vehicle), an insufficiently private place (i.e. any setting with non-participating third parties present), or if unsuitably attired (i.e. any state of disrobement).
• Patients are responsible for insuring their ability to connect to scheduled telehealth appointments. If you are unable to participate or you are more than 5-minutes late for a scheduled online appointment due to issues with internet connectivity, software, or other technical issues the visit may be considered a ‘no-show’ with accompanying late-cancellation-fee of $175. If you are unsure of your ability to connect to an appointment, please contact us prior to any session and we can assist with verifying your ability to connect and with troubleshooting any technical issues.
• Minors are required to be accompanied by guardians at least for initial part of appointment.
• Participants must be physically located within the state of Texas at during scheduled telehealth appointments.
• Participants are prohibited from recording telehealth sessions, whether through video, audio, or any other means, without explicit, written consent from both parties involved. Telehealth sessions are confidential and privileged interactions between the patient and the mental health provider. Recording sessions without consent can compromise the confidentiality of sensitive and personal information shared during the session. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in termination from the practice and may be subject to legal action in accordance with applicable laws.

Minor Patient Policy

• Minors must be accompanied by a legal guardian for all appointments at least for initial part of appointment.

Website Policy

• Practice policies are subject to change. Updates are posted on the practice website at www.ventanamentalhealth.com. Patients agree to defer to latest policy updates.