At Legacy Counseling Service we care about your emotional & physical health.
We are offering IN-OFFICE and TELEHEALTH!
For the wellbeing of our clients, therapists, and family members who are immunosuppressed we are offering both IN-OFFICE and TELEHEALTH. The type of appointment available depends on the therapist’s and your specific concerns.
Please keep in mind these changes to check-in/office flow:
1. You can continue to check in on the Ipad if you want (you must use sanitizer before touching the IPad) or you can email your therapist to let them know you have arrived (please check in with your therapist about getting their specific email address). The waiting room and bathroom are closed.
2. We are asking clients to wait in their cars for their appointments as we will be keeping the waiting room locked.
3. If you are at all not feeling well stay home and ask your therapist for a telehealth appointment. All of the therapists know how to do telehealth and it won’t be as strange as you might think it is.
4. If you have been in contact with someone who suspects or has been diagnosed with the Coronavirus, you will need to be tested and we request that you only engage in telehealth appointments for the recommended 14 days of quarantine and then only if you are feeling well.
5. If you have a facial mask that you can wear for your appointment to minimize the therapist’s exposure to droplets from coughs, sneezing, etc spreading we would appreciate you wearing it.
We will continue to provide excellent mental health services regardless of how you are receiving services during this time. Read below for more information about telehealth and updates to your health insurance as it relates to Telehealth services.
HOW TO USE TELEHEALTH FOR MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING:
Using telehealth is not as difficult as you may think. Here is what you will need:
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- High-speed internet access and a good browser. We recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox web browser. You may need to download this to your computer or put an app on your phone or Ipad.
- A computer with a webcam OR a camera on your phone or IPad. Keep your device plugged into a power source for the duration of your appointment.
- Depending on the HIPAA-compliant software your therapist chooses to use you will usually only need to check your email for a link to your telehealth appointment. Try to login for your appointment 2-3 minutes before your appointment time.
- We will likely be using one of these HIPAA compliant platforms to meet with you: Google Meet (through our business version of Google), Doxy.Me, Clocktree, or Vsee.
- Using earbuds that you can plug into your computer, Ipad or Smartphone can help ensure privacy from your side so that other’s can’t hear what your therapist is saying.
- Please position your device approximately 4-6 feet in front of your on a steady surface so that your therapist can see at least the upper half of your body. This allows them to notice your body language which is very helpful to us while we are counseling you.
- Make sure your lighting is good so that your therapist can see your face well.
- Be in a place where you will have privacy and minimize distractions. Options might include your home office, bedroom, bathroom, closet, car, back porch, etc.
- Minimize distractions: turn off notification on your phone, keep pets in another room, turn on a movie for your kiddos, etc.
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I’ll be posting some videos on this page soon to show you what the different software looks like from the client’s perspective so you can see how it works.
How to Use Google Meet for mental health telehealth counseling:
INSURANCE COVERAGE UPDATES AS OF June 30, 2020:
This page will be updated as new information becomes available.
- If you are a private pay client your rate for a telehealth session is the same as if you came to the office.
- The insurance companies are updating their policies several times/week based on federal government guidelines, Medicare, etc. This information may change and we cannot guarantee anything to our clients (coverage, co-pays, etc).
- To our clients: we need your help getting us coverage information from your insurance company to confirm the information below. Each individual plan can be very different and with this being an unprecedented season we are trying to get the most accurate information possible. We do not want to rely on the blanket statements the insurance companies are providing. The more we know about your specific coverage the less financial stress all of us will have.
So, if you can call your insurance company (customer service numbers are below) and send us the following information that would be very helpful:
UPDATES FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES WE WORK WITH. Updated 06/30/2020
Retroactive from Mar 15 – August 31st the following applies:
- Zero co-pay, zero deductible for FULLY funded insured members who currently have telehealth coverage
- Members who are SELF-FUNDED by their employers may still have to pay a deductible or co-pay
- Fully funded means it is structured so that an employer purchases health care coverage from an insurance carrier (such as BCBS, Health Choice, or Community Care) for a per-member premium. These are usually smaller companies.
- Self-funded means that a company brokers through an insurance company. The employer takes on the financial risk of providing healthcare benefits to his/her employees. This company pays for health care expenses out of pocket as they are received from the insurance company by the health care provider. These employers are usually larger (e.g., State Farm, public school district)
- If you are self-funded or have BCBS through the marketplace you can verify if you are required by insurance to pay your co-pay/deductible payment here: https://www.bcbsok.com/newsroom/news-releases/2020/eliminating-telemedicine-copays-covid-19
- BCBS purchased through the Marketplace is approved for telehealth services through any HIPAA compliant platform
- In-network providers can provide telehealth services through any HIPAA compliant platform
Retroactive from Mar 6 – September 30th the following applies:
- Telehealth is being considered as an in-office visit
- Deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance still apply
- Providers still need to get approval for visits beyond the 20 session limit
- In-network providers can provide telehealth services through any HIPAA compliant platform
3. Community Care – customer service number 918-594-5242
- As of Jan 1, 2020 Community Care is following Medicare guidelines regarding telehealth.
- All fully funded and SOME self-funded members will have 100% coverage for all behavioral telehealth services.
- 100% coverage, zero co-pay, zero co-insurance, zero deductible
- In-network providers can provide telehealth services through any HIPAA compliant platform
4. Alliance Coal – customer service number 855-979-5192
- Telehealth is being considered as an in-office visit
5. Multi-plan – customer service number: clients need to call the number on the back of their card
- Clients with the Multiplan Logo or PHCS on the back of their insurance card will need to call the number on the back of their card to verify the following:
- That they have behavioral health telemedicine coverage
- What their co-pay, deductible, or co-insurance will be for each behavioral telemedicine appointment
- Get the person’s name they are speaking to AND a reference number for the call to give to use for future reference.
- If your health insurance company does NOT provide coverage for behavioral health telehealth counseling you may advocate for this by calling Governor Kevin Stitt’s office at 405-521-2342 or send an email at https://www.governor.ok.gov/contact
If you have any questions, please email us at intake@legacycounselingservicescom or call 918-505-4367.