How much will my treatment cost?
Every patient is different, at a minimum your first month will cost $575. Monthly follow-up visits will be required initially until you are stable and will be charged according to the time needed / fee schedule. Most patients who are doing well on their medication can expect their follow-up appointments to take less than 15 minutes. The cost of your medication will vary according to your insurance plan if your plan does not cover these medications it is strongly recommended to use GoodRx to find the best cash-pay price.
What can I expect during my visit?
During your first visit, a thorough history will be obtained, you will also have a physical exam and if you had lab work prior to your visit, we’ll also go over the results. You’ll have a urine drug test, so we get a full assessment and can formulate the best treatment plan which we’ll discuss thoroughly and address any questions or concerns. We will also review important office policies. This visit may take up to 90 minutes.
How long will I need to stay on Medication
Every patient is different. It is recommended that you stay on medication for at least one year, if you stop prior to one year, your chance of relapse is about 90%. A duration of two years is generally recommended. Some patients may choose to remain on MAT indefinitely- this is also completely acceptable. Once you are stable, if you wish your primary care provider to manage your refills, I would be
happy to transition your treatment back to your regular physician. However, be aware that many physicians are uncomfortable treating addiction. If your primary care provider is not willing- I will do my best to advocate on your behalf.
If you are being managed by your primary care provider and then decide to wean off Buprenorphine, I recommend that you return to RTR to begin that process.
Regarding MAT, unfortunately, as with many things, you will encounter more misinformation than truth on the internet.
Here are a couple objective sources regarding optimal duration of MAT:
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19121245
Why such a strict cancellation policy?
* You’ve taken an important step to change your life and begin your recovery, it is a difficult step and your apprehension may cause you to not meet your commitment toward embarking on your recovery. Having a financial stake will hopefully motivate you to meet your commitment.
*A business which generates revenue by filling available appointments cannot continue to operate if appointments go unfilled due to no-shows and late cancellations.
* An unutilized reserved time slot not only deprives you of the care you require, it also makes that time unavailable to others who also desire care.
Why don’t you participate in /accept insurance?
Insurance companies exist to make money, by underpaying for care they are able to do this. The only way providers can meet their bottom line is by seeing high volumes of patients, resulting in suboptimal care, poor patient experience and provider burnout.
Why can’t you see Medicare enrollees?
Until this practice is self-sustaining I will be working for other entities part-time, which will require their ability to bill Medicare for those services.
Medicare has strict policies about billing. Until I am able to completely “Opt-out” I am unable to provide services to Medicare enrollees at this practice.
