Frequently Asked Questions
CONFIDENTIALITY AND SAFETY
Your privacy is important to us. With your written consent, we may contact your PCP, family doctor and other involved providers or therapists with a summary to assist them in providing integrated care. If this is not acceptable to you, please let us know no later than your initial evaluation session as this issue would need to be discussed.
If we believe you may be an imminent danger to yourself or others, we will act in accordance with the law, and, if needed, may alert appropriate outside personnel or agencies. If we are concerned about possible abuse, we will need to contact the appropriate authorities.
Medical records in ChiSovereign office practice are kept in an electronic format – what is called an EMR or EHR (electronic medical record, or electronic health record) system. The EMR database is not physically located in our office but is maintained off-site by a professional EMR company. If you have any questions about this, please contact our office at 703-246-0011. We will use electronic prescribing except when paper prescriptions are required by law.
Please also see our office’s Notice of Privacy Practices (the common HIPAA notice) for further details, which is available for download here: Notice of Privacy Practices.
BILLING, INSURANCE, AND PAYMENTS
We will endeavor to keep you informed of any information we receive from the insurance company, but please keep in mind that it is the patient’s responsibility to obtain information from his or her insurer about policy coverage and authorization requirements.
Patients will be billed for any balance that the insurance company says is owed by the patient, even if it is the full balance.
Co-payments are due on the date of service.
Services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. Please check your coverage carefully by asking the following questions: What is my health insurance coverage and benefits?
What is my deductible and has it been met? Do I have a co-pay? If so, how much is it?
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges under the No Surprises Act (OMB Control #: 0938-1401)
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
Cash, check and all major credit cards are accepted for payment.
CANCELLATIONS AND "NO SHOWS"
We understand there are times when you must miss an appointment due to emergencies or obligations to work and family. However, when you do not call to cancel an appointment, you may be preventing another patient from getting much-needed treatment. Conversely, the situation may arise where another patient fails to cancel and we are unable to schedule you for treatment, due to a seemingly “full” appointment book.
If an appointment is not canceled at least 24 hours in advance, you personally will be charged a $60.00 cancellation fee, (you, not your insurance company). If you fail to show or call, you will be charged an $80.00 no show fee. Should you cancel less than 24 hours prior to, or fail to show up for your scheduled initial evaluation, you will be held responsible for the evaluation fee.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
We recommend you call the OFFICE at 703-246-0011 well in advance and as soon as you know of your inability to attend your appointment.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY
We follow the Federal Government policy, however it might be more prudent to call our Office front desk at 703-246-0011
What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specialty training in psychiatry. This requires completion of 4 years of medical school and 4 more years of residency training in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are trained in both psychotherapy and psychiatric medications so they are able to provide both services.
Other providers (like a psychologist, a social worker, or a licensed counselor) can provide psychotherapy services, but they cannot prescribe medications.
HOW DO I SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT?
If you have a referral from your doctor or therapist, it is helpful if you give your treating provider permission to share records with us in advance (see below).
Please have your provider forward your records to our office prior to your first visit. We can formally discuss an Authorization to Release Information at your first visit and/or you may download the Authorization from the Patient Information page.
Please download and print the appropriate New Patient forms and fax or mail the completed forms to the office 48 hours before your first visit.
Please note, I do not perform psychiatric evaluations for legal purposes such as establishing grounds for a personal injury claim, for custody evaluations, or for the sole purpose of obtaining social security disability income.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM MY FIRST VISIT?
If you have not already submitted the New Patient forms, please arrive at least 30 minutes early so that you can fill out the forms before we meet. This will help us to make the most of our time together. Arriving early will also allow time for any unexpected difficulties getting to our office.
Most initial evaluations are 60 minutes in length but for some cases it may take up to 90 minutes so please plan accordingly. Assessment is also continued at subsequent sessions to reach a treatment plan.
During the initial assessment, Dr. Nnamani will review your current medical records and may request additional information from previous records. She will talk with you about the emotional, cognitive, educational, occupational, physical, genetic, developmental, family, peer, and social components of your presenting problem.
With your written permission, Dr. Nnamani may interview spouses, family members, peers, teachers, clergy, and others. The last visit in the assessment process will be used to review your presenting diagnosis and the recommended treatment plan. The treatment plan may or may not include medication. If all parties are agreeable, a long-term patient/doctor relationship will be established.
Should you be in active treatment with a therapist prior to initiating an evaluation with Dr. Nnamani, she will coordinate treatment with that therapist and you.
HOW DO I GET RECORDS FROM ANOTHER DOCTOR FORWARDED TO YOU?
Most doctors will not release your confidential medical or mental health records without your permission. To have your records sent to our office, please directly request from your other provider(s) that your relevant records be sent to our office. It is best to make this request in writing and either delivered or faxed to the sending office.
Feel free to utilize our Authorization for Release of Confidential Information form, which you can download from this website or obtain from the Chisovereign front office.
Our fax number is 703-246-0012.
What if I don't want to take a medication?
Dr. Nnamani will not make you take medication. She will discuss all treatment options including medication and non-medication treatments.
If Dr. Nnamani does recommend a medication, she will discuss the risks and benefits of the medication carefully, and you will decide whether or not you think it is a good choice for you.
In many situations, Dr. Nnamani may recommend that you stop taking medications that are not necessary or helpful for you.
Do you provide “Second Opinions”?
Yes, a second opinion is another doctor doing a separate, independent evaluation. This second evaluation will result in an “opinion” from the doctor about the diagnosis and treatment plan that can be compared to any prior evaluation(s). It is not uncommon for patients to have been treated elsewhere prior to coming to see Dr. Nnamani.
It is usually more helpful to have all prior mental health records reviewed prior to your first appointment so that Dr. Nnamani can focus more closely on the concerning issue(s) and spend less time on issues previously investigated by other doctors.
After the initial consultation and treatment recommendations, you are free to follow up with our practice or seek treatment elsewhere.