Issues regarding finances and payment plans should be discussed openly and frankly with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist from the beginning of treatment. You must read your contract or call your insurance plan office to find out the details about health insurance benefits and the extent of psychiatric services covered by your plan. Most health plans cover some portion of evaluations, consultation and treatment services provided by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. However, benefits and coverage for mental health treatments are frequently limited or restricted by insurance plans. If your health insurance plan does not cover these services and if finances appear to be a barrier in seeking necessary psychiatric services, you should discuss this matter frankly with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist.
Most state laws protect the confidentiality of communication between patients and physicians.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists will not discuss information about you and your child or adolescent with others without your consent except as required by law. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists are physicians who specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders which cause problems with feeling, thinking, and behavior. They are specially trained and qualified to treat infants, children, adolescents, and adults as individuals, couples, families, and groups. They practice in a variety of settings, including independently in offices, on the staffs of hospitals, clinics, HMO's, etc. A Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist has 9 to 10 years of special training.