Practice Policies

We provide generous appointment times for our patients, but we recognize that some people need more time to process information and ask questions. To provide the best service to all our patients and reduce wait times, we ask that you schedule a follow-up if you have remaining questions or concerns 5 minutes before the end of your appointment. Patients who frequently need extra time are asked to schedule multiple closely spaced appointments until they no longer need extra time, or they can be referred to a higher level of care.

To provide the best service to all our patients and reduce wait times, we ask that you arrive on time for appointments. We do not have a grace period for appointment times. If you are late and your provider does not have adequate time to see you, then you will be asked to reschedule, and a No-Show fee will be charged.

PATIENTS MUST REQUEST THEIR OWN REFILLS FROM OUR OFFICE. WE DO NOT ACCEPT REFILL REQUESTS FROM PHARMACIES.

Please check the label on your container to find out if you have a refill available. If you have no refills, then check with your pharmacy to find out if they have a new prescription for you. Please do not use the pharmacy’s automated telephone system. Instead, speak directly with the pharmacy and specifically ask if there is a refill or new prescription available.

Prescription refills are not automatically given during appointments. If you need a refill, please ask at the start of your appointment.

Refills require 5 business days’ notice, otherwise a $25 urgent refill fee will apply.* We suggest requesting a refill when you have about 10 days of medicine remaining. Refills will not be provided if they are requested too early, if the patient often cancels appointments, or if the patient is overdue for a 3-month follow-up appointment.

*Please note: ADHD stimulants cannot be urgently refilled after business hours or on the weekends.

Routine refills can be requested by telephone at 919-424-0062 option #5 or by email at [email protected].

Urgent refills can be requested by calling 919-424-0062 and speaking to the receptionist.

All prescriptions will be sent to the pharmacy on file. Please notify us of pharmacy changes at the time of your refill request.

ADHD medication will only be provided with a thorough evaluation. If you would like to continue ADHD medication prescribed by a former provider while you are transferring to Swift Creek Mental Health Services, it may be possible to provide a refill while medical records are being obtained, depending on the situation.

Other Providers

Patients do not need to sign a release of information for other active providers to share basic medical information that affects the patient’s treatment plan. For more in-depth patient treatment information to be shared, such as treatment notes and evaluations, the patient must sign a release of information form. If a patient is seeing another therapist, Swift Creek Mental Health Services requires a release to collaborate on the treatment plan.

Young Adults

When a patient reaches the age of 18, they no longer require a parent to make medical decisions. However, many young adults are financially dependent on their family. If a young adult over the age of 18 years does not assume financial responsibility for their care, then we require them to sign a release of information so that their care can be coordinated with their family if needed. Patients who are unwilling to provide this release will be asked to find another provider. Concerns about this policy should be raised as soon as possible.

If parents have questions about their young adult child's treatment plan, they should attend the appointment(s) or arrange to speak with the provider directly (if a release of information has been signed). Diagnoses, treatment plans, and medications can be complex, and we encourage patients and family members to bring concerns or questions directly to their provider.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4008301/

Inquiries from Family/Friends

Families and supportive friends are welcome to participate in a patient’s care at the patient’s discretion. We encourage patients to bring concerned family or friends to their appointments.

However, patients are required to sign a release of information form to allow their information to be shared with others, including a spouse or other family members. Swift Creek Mental Health Services will not share patient information without a signed release of information on file (with certain exceptions made for other providers). For example, we will not discuss a patient’s care by phone with a spouse unless the patient has signed a release of information for the spouse.

Phone conversations with individuals authorized to discuss a patient’s treatment will be charged to the patient.

If deemed medically necessary, we may request that you include a support person in your plan of care. This may be a spouse, a parent, or even a close friend. The necessity and purpose of the support person will be explained during development of the treatment plan. A release of information will be required for a support person.

Swift Creek Mental Health Services provides treatment at the time of the appointment with the parent in attendance at the appointment. If a parent is not present at an appointment but wishes to discuss their child’s treatment plan, they will be asked to schedule a self pay appointment.  All disputes between parents about the treatment plan must be resolved before the appointment. Unless documentation is available to state otherwise, parents have a right to their child's notes and treatment plan regardless of who attends the appointment.

After an appointment, if you have questions and wish to discuss your treatment plan in depth before starting it, then you can self-pay for a phone appointment (not covered by insurance) or you can schedule another appointment with the provider.

The preferred method of communication is for patients to call and leave a message on the appropriate voicemail option. Patients may use email; however, email is not HIPAA compliant, and therefore privacy and security of information cannot be guaranteed. At times patients may receive information via text messages. Please do not reply to text messages because replies will not be read.

The foundation of mental health services is the provider’s relationship with the patient. As unique human beings, all providers have their own style and expertise. If you do not click with the style of your provider’s health care, we can help you find another provider. After evaluation, if we find that we cannot provide the services that you need, then we will do our best to make a referral to another provider or organization better suited to assist you.

For established patients, if we feel discharge is necessary then we will provide an explanation in writing. Immediate discharge can occur if a patient blatantly lies to the provider, withholds important information about any symptoms or issues that may affect the treatment plan, or acts in an abusive or excessively rude manner to the staff. The most common reasons for discharge are refusal to follow the treatment plan, not coming to appointments, and frequent late arrival for appointments.

The financial responsibility for services is the sole responsibility of the patient or their guardian/conservator. Although efforts are made to verify insurance coverage, the patient should verify that their specific provider at Swift Creek Mental Health Services is a contracted and active provider for insurance coverage for their mental health benefits. Regardless of what a patient may be told by an insurance carrier, the patient is ultimately responsible for all charges.

Common problems include (but are not limited to):

• The mental health benefit is not the same as the medical benefit. For example, the Swift Creek provider might be in-network for a patient’s medical coverage, but the mental health benefit could be provided by a different company for which the Swift Creek provider is not in-network.
• The patient has a high deductible and is unaware of their financial obligation to their health insurance costs.
• One provider in our practice is contracted with a particular insurance company, but another provider is not.
• The medical or mental health policy does not cover the treatment.
• Other reasons determined by the insurance company. In this case, we will make two attempts to obtain payment, and then it will become the patient’s responsibility to obtain reimbursement from the insurance company or to pay the charges directly.

Cash Fee for Dr. Tracy

• $200 for New Patient visit
• $150 for Follow-up

Cash Fee for Therapist

• $175 for New Patient visit
• $125 for Follow-up

Fees Not Covered by Insurance

• FMLA $75
• Social Security Disability form $150
• Brief work or school forms $25/page (not including absence notes)
• Genetic testing collection and administration $25
• Cancel (less than 2 business days’ notice) or No-Show for New Patient visit $200
• Late Cancel (less than 2 business days’ notice) or No-Show for Follow-up $120
• Urgent medication refill requests during/after weekday business hours $25 (less than 5 business days’ notice) 

Phone calls are not covered by insurance and will be charged at $50/15 minutes.

Any account unpaid over 90 days (including non-visit-related fees) will result in discharge from the practice. 

Refill requests will not be honored unless account is paid in full or arrangements have been made to pay outstanding charges.

We do not contract with Medicaid and cannot see patients with this form of payment. For Medicare, we are in-network and will be able to see patients soon. Further information about Medicare status will be updated here when available.

A credit card with name, account number, expiration date, and CVV must be held on file. The patient’s responsibility will be charged to this card at check-in before the appointment. Any changes to the payment method on file should be made the day before the appointment by calling the office.