Welcome to BHAC, serving children, adolescents, and adults. Our goal is to provide high quality mental health services to you and your family in a patient-friendly environment.
HOURS
Our opening hours are 8:00AM-5:00PM Monday-Friday. Patients are seen by scheduled appointments only. When the office is closed, a brief message can be left on our voicemail.
APPOINTMENTS
Appointments can be scheduled through the BHAC support staff. We do not over-book or double-book; the time you schedule is yours.
We strongly advise that you contact your insurance company in advance of your appointment to verify your coverage and/or obtain approval for services.
CLINICAL EMERGENCIES
BHAC is a psychiatric practice addressing the medical concerns associated with a mental health condition or crisis. Our physicians periodically will have to attend emergencies in hospital settings and/or require additional time with patients in critical moments. This may require changes and/or adjustments to your appointment time or date. Any such change will be communicated to you as soon as possible. We strive daily to provide patient-centered care in the most efficient and safe manner, this may require redirecting time and resources in critical situations. This approach is afforded to all who are treated at BHAC.
CONFIRMATIONS AND CANCELLATIONS
Appointments can be scheduled through the BHAC support staff. If you do not plan to keep your appointment, please let us know at least one workday (24 hours) in advance to avoid a charge.
There is a fee for appointments missed or canceled less than one business day (24 hours) in advance, except when, at the discretion of the clinic, dangerous weather conditions exist, or in case of serious illness, or a life-threatening emergency. Any appointment canceled with less 24 hours’ notice will be subject to an administrative charge which must be paid prior to rescheduling your next appointment.
BHAC’s support team will call you to confirm your appointment the business day prior to your appointment. Please call our team back the same day to confirm your appointment, or your appointment will be rescheduled.
Please notify us promptly if you cannot make your appointment so that we can offer the time to someone else. The missed/canceled appointment fee equals 50% of the cost of your scheduled appointment.
EMERGENCIES/MESSAGES
If you have an emergency, call 911 or go promptly to an Emergency Room for assistance. During office hours, if you reach our voicemail, your call will be returned as soon as possible. Please leave a voicemail including your contact information. We make every effort to return all patient calls on the day received or by the end of the next working day. Please keep the Practice updated with your current home, cell, and work phone numbers. If you feel your concern is urgent, please make this clear to the Practice at the time of your call. You may also find it helpful to contact your therapist or primary care physician.
AFTER HOURS/ HOLIDAYS
If you have an emergency, call 911 or go promptly to an Emergency Room or Urgent Care Facility for assistance. After hours, weekends, and holidays, please contact your primary physician, or an Urgent Care Facility.
PRESCRIPTION REFILLS
Refilling medications through pharmacies can be a frustrating experience for patients. It is of the utmost concern to us that we provide prescriptions that will cover you until your next appointment.
To minimize errors and for your safety, we discourage medication refills in between scheduled appointments.
If you must obtain a medication refill before your next appointment due to missing an appointment, we suggest that you call our office at least three business days before you expect to run out of medications. You must have a standing appointment in the near future before a medication refill will be provided.
Stimulants, benzodiazepines and other controlled medications are usually not prescribed without evaluating the patient in the office. It is up to the discretion of the physician to make a determination. They reserve the right to refuse renewal of any medications if they believe it is clinically necessary to evaluate the patient before prescribing.
PRESCRIPTION REFILL CHARGE
Please note there is a charge for medication refills.
A prescription takes approximately 15 minutes of physician and support staff time. After the initial conversation with the patient, the patient chart is accessed and reviewed by the provider. A decision is made to renew the prescription, a note is entered into electronic medical record, the patient pays the charge, and then the prescription is faxed or phoned in to the pharmacy.
DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP
BHAC psychiatrists become you or your child’s primary psychiatrist (doctor) when a mutual agreement is made to work together after the initial evaluation (usually one to three appointments) is completed. This relationship is a professional, cooperative partnership in which we both have responsibilities to work toward agreed-upon goals. Because of the nature of psychiatric treatment, a person or family must be seen at least every three months to be considered an active or current patient of BHAC. Professional relationships with therapists and therapists are also subject to the same guidelines.
TERMINATION OF TREATMENT
We reserve the right to terminate treatment with a patient if there is a breakdown in rapport that makes it difficult or impossible to continue offering treatment. This could be due to threatening or abusive behavior towards office staff, sexual advances, repeated no-shows, treatment non-compliance that jeopardizes patient’s safety, refusal to follow the treatment plan or violating the terms of the treatment contract such as failure to pay bills and/or being in the collection process.
RECORDS
There is a fee for copying and mailing records. A completed, signed release of information is required.
REPORTS, EXTENDED CALLS, LETTERS
Due to the additional time and costs incurred, there is a charge for extended or complex phone calls, and for letters, reports, medication authorizations, or extended calls made on your behalf to other clinicians or insurance companies/agencies.
BILLING
Payment in full is due at the time of service for patients with limited psychiatric insurance coverage or self-paying patients. Insurance companies often have exclusions and limitations on mental health coverage. If your balance is paid in full, we can provide you with a claim form, or we can submit the claim on your behalf for an administrative fee of KYD$10.00.
For patients using insurance, payment equaling fifty percent of the visit must be paid on the date of service. Any previous outstanding balance on your account will be collected at confirmation of your next appointment. You are ultimately responsible for your bill.
Personal checks, debit cards, MasterCard/Visa and cash are accepted.
PAST-DUE CHARGES/NON-PAYMENT
There will be a 5% charge on all outstanding balances over 90 days. To avoid these charges, please ensure your account is paid in full.
If your account is ninety days overdue, we reserve the right to utilize legal resources such as collection agencies, or small claims court to collect payment. Any unpaid or uncovered services may be submitted to the patient as well as the insurance policy holder to obtain payment. Any legal and/or collection fees are the patient’s responsibility.
RETURNED CHECKS
There is a CI $50.00 charge for returned checks.
INSURANCE
Your insurance policy is a contract between your insurer and you. You are responsible for all charges incurred, as well as for any services that are not covered by your policy, such as testing, reports and prescription refill charges.
LIMITS ON CONFIDENTIALITY
The law protects the privacy of all communications between a patient and a psychiatrist. In most situations, we can only release information about your treatment to others if you sign a written authorization form that meets certain legal requirements imposed by Cayman Islands Data Protection Act (2021 Revision). While the Data Protection Act criminalizes the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information of the kind which professionals would be obliged to protect; it also legislates gateways through which information may be obtained by the local authorities if this information is needed for the investigation or prosecution of serious crime or in cases of child abuse as required by The Children Law (2012 Revision) Cayman Islands. There are other situations that require only that you provide written, advance consent.