Rao Psychiatry operates as an out-of-network practice and does not directly bill public or private insurance. Appointment fees vary within the range of $300 to $800. Specifically:

 

- The fee for an initial 60-minute adult appointment is $500.

- The fee for an initial 90-minute child appointment is $650.

- Follow-up appointments, which are typically 30 minutes, are charged at a default rate of $300 for both children and adults.

- Weekly therapy sessions, lasting 50 minutes each, are billed at $400.

 

While Rao Psychiatry does not directly bill insurance, the practice can provide you with an invoice upon request. You can submit this invoice to your insurance company for potential reimbursement according to your plan's out-of-network coverage.

 

Dr. Rao offers a 50% discount to active or retired military families and teachers, recognizing their valuable service.

 

Fees for documents requested, such as filling out certain forms or providing documentation, are based on the time required to complete them.

 

For patients on triplicate medications or controlled stimulant and or sedative-hypnotic medications closer monitoring ( every 3 months) is necessary due to regulatory requirements. Once a patient's symptoms stabilize and they are not on controlled scripts, they may be allowed to follow up once a year. Frequency of visits is dictated by the acuity of the illness. 

 

Rao Psychiatry emphasizes the use of electronic prescriptions for medications, due to improved safety, cost management, accuracy, efficiency, and enhanced practice efficiency. This method eliminates the need for patients to pick up paper prescriptions or wait for them to be mailed. Once scripts are sent it is the patient's responsibility to call the pharmacy to see if and when they are ready for pick up. 

 

Regarding direct phone contact with Dr. Rao, while she strives to be available for urgent matters, it may not always be feasible. In case of emergencies, patients are advised to contact an urgent care facility, the emergency room, or call 911. For non-emergent matters, patients are requested to allow 2-3 working days for a response. Any symptoms or medication-related changes should ideally be addressed during a follow-up appointment, as brief telephone conversations may not be optimal for these purposes. Refill requests should be made when patients have at least a week's supply of medication on hand, avoiding last-minute requests that may result in running out of medication.

 

Please note that there is no charge for scheduled medication refills. However, multiple requests for the same prescription script due to pharmacy issues may incur a $25 charge each time the script is resent, although this policy may be temporarily suspended during medication shortages.

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