Policies
For the most comprehensive outline of the doctor's practice policies, please see the Patient Financial Agreement and the Treatment Policies and Care Agreement on this site.
Confidentiality
Dr. Kan has the utmost respect for your privacy and confidentiality. Please read this Notice of Privacy Practices to understand how your health information is protected.
Payment
Payment is expected at the time of service. For 2015 and onward, Dr. Kan will be an out-of-network provider with all health plans. Our office does assist you by submitting your insurance claim to your insurer, and instructing them to send reimbursement directly to you. If your insurer does not allow electronic claims for this purpose, we provide the information you need to submit the claim yourself.
Many patients misunderstand this situation to mean that they can't use their insurance at all and must bear the appointment cost in full; that is not the case. Nearly all insurers in our state provide out-of-network coverage; check with your plan to learn what your specific benefits are.
Prescriptions
Dr. Kan provides new prescriptions and all prescription refills during appointments. This reduces prescription errors, improves patient safety and encourages appropriate follow-up. It also improves compliance with new state laws governing controlled substances. Patients will receive enough medication or refills to last until their next recommended follow-up. Patients are asked to track their supply, and to ensure they have an appointment scheduled before they run out of medication or run out of approved refills. A fee applies when a patient (or the patient's pharmacy) requests a between-visits refill that the doctor deems medically necessary.
Some patients find that they become aware of running low on medications only at the last minute, and then have difficulty getting onto the doctor's schedule. Please help keep your care running smoothly by tracking how much medication you have and how many refills remain on the prescription, and ensure you have an appointment to see the doctor before you're out of medication.
Contacting the Office
Email:
Dr. Kan is happy to offer patients the convenience of email communication with their doctor. When email is used for administrative matters (such as scheduling issues or billing questions,) or for communication that doesn't require a response, no fee is charged. If a patient uses email to ask a care-related question that requires the doctor's time and clinical expertise, an email consult fee is charged.
Phone Calls:
Dr. Kan checks phone messages about once a day and returns calls on days he is in the office. Email may elicit a quicker response. (Messages of an urgent nature should never be left by email.) Urgent voice messages are returned within 24 hours. Occasionally, the voice mail system fails and a message may not reach the doctor. If you are in crisis, the safest option is to call 911 or the 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-273-TALK, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Late Arrivals
Dr. Kan runs his practice on time and does not intentionally double-book or run over. You can expect your appointment to start and end at the scheduled time. If you arrive late to your appointment, you will be seen for any time that is remaining, but lost time cannot be made up at that visit. An exception is that patients with 25-minute appointments who are 10 or more minutes late cannot be seen and need to be rescheduled. A missed appointment fee will apply in that case. If you expect to be late, please let Dr. Kan know as soon as possible by leaving an urgent phone message or via email.
Cancellations & Missed Visits
Each appointment time is reserved exclusively for a specific patient. Patients are asked to give 48 hours' notice if they wish to change or cancel an appointment. If you are unable to make the appointment and cannot give the required notice, the full appointment fee will be charged. Insurance plans do not cover missed appointment fees; payment of these is the patient's responsibility. Dr. Kan is very sympathetic to the fact that situations arise in life that may make it difficult to come to an appointment or to give the required notice -- car trouble, illness, problems with child care, etc. -- but he is not able to make exceptions to this policy.
Social Media and Networking
Psychiatric care works best when conducted within a safe, well-bounded setting. As a matter of policy, Dr. Kan does not interact with patients on social networking sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Please don't be offended if your request to connect is declined.
For the most comprehensive outline of the doctor's practice policies, please see the Patient Financial Agreement and the Treatment Policies and Care Agreement on this site.
Confidentiality
Dr. Kan has the utmost respect for your privacy and confidentiality. Please read this Notice of Privacy Practices to understand how your health information is protected.
Payment
Payment is expected at the time of service. For 2015 and onward, Dr. Kan will be an out-of-network provider with all health plans. Our office does assist you by submitting your insurance claim to your insurer, and instructing them to send reimbursement directly to you. If your insurer does not allow electronic claims for this purpose, we provide the information you need to submit the claim yourself.
Many patients misunderstand this situation to mean that they can't use their insurance at all and must bear the appointment cost in full; that is not the case. Nearly all insurers in our state provide out-of-network coverage; check with your plan to learn what your specific benefits are.
Prescriptions
Dr. Kan provides new prescriptions and all prescription refills during appointments. This reduces prescription errors, improves patient safety and encourages appropriate follow-up. It also improves compliance with new state laws governing controlled substances. Patients will receive enough medication or refills to last until their next recommended follow-up. Patients are asked to track their supply, and to ensure they have an appointment scheduled before they run out of medication or run out of approved refills. A fee applies when a patient (or the patient's pharmacy) requests a between-visits refill that the doctor deems medically necessary.
Some patients find that they become aware of running low on medications only at the last minute, and then have difficulty getting onto the doctor's schedule. Please help keep your care running smoothly by tracking how much medication you have and how many refills remain on the prescription, and ensure you have an appointment to see the doctor before you're out of medication.
Contacting the Office
Email:
Dr. Kan is happy to offer patients the convenience of email communication with their doctor. When email is used for administrative matters (such as scheduling issues or billing questions,) or for communication that doesn't require a response, no fee is charged. If a patient uses email to ask a care-related question that requires the doctor's time and clinical expertise, an email consult fee is charged.
Phone Calls:
Dr. Kan checks phone messages about once a day and returns calls on days he is in the office. Email may elicit a quicker response. (Messages of an urgent nature should never be left by email.) Urgent voice messages are returned within 24 hours. Occasionally, the voice mail system fails and a message may not reach the doctor. If you are in crisis, the safest option is to call 911 or the 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-273-TALK, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Late Arrivals
Dr. Kan runs his practice on time and does not intentionally double-book or run over. You can expect your appointment to start and end at the scheduled time. If you arrive late to your appointment, you will be seen for any time that is remaining, but lost time cannot be made up at that visit. An exception is that patients with 25-minute appointments who are 10 or more minutes late cannot be seen and need to be rescheduled. A missed appointment fee will apply in that case. If you expect to be late, please let Dr. Kan know as soon as possible by leaving an urgent phone message or via email.
Cancellations & Missed Visits
Each appointment time is reserved exclusively for a specific patient. Patients are asked to give 48 hours' notice if they wish to change or cancel an appointment. If you are unable to make the appointment and cannot give the required notice, the full appointment fee will be charged. Insurance plans do not cover missed appointment fees; payment of these is the patient's responsibility. Dr. Kan is very sympathetic to the fact that situations arise in life that may make it difficult to come to an appointment or to give the required notice -- car trouble, illness, problems with child care, etc. -- but he is not able to make exceptions to this policy.
Social Media and Networking
Psychiatric care works best when conducted within a safe, well-bounded setting. As a matter of policy, Dr. Kan does not interact with patients on social networking sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Please don't be offended if your request to connect is declined.