FOR PATIENTS
Find important information including practice policies, consent and intake forms, and access to our patient portal.
BECOME A NEW PATIENT
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BECOME A NEW PATIENT
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BECOME A NEW PATIENT · BECOME A NEW PATIENT ·
WE WELCOME YOU to one of our BEAUTIFUL OFFICES or VIRTUALLY!
We are honored that you are choosing us for your care. We are proud to offer comprehensive outpatient mental health services.
In order to ensure that our practice is an appropriate fit for you and your specific needs, we require you to fill out our online intake form. This will help us place you with the right provider(s). We will get in touch with you within 24-48 business hours but we always strive to get in touch within 24 hours.
If you have any difficulty with the online form, give the office a call at (843) 800-1303.
We also encourage you to have your psychiatrist/therapist/primary care doctor fax us a referral to (888) 316-7716, however this is not required.
We take our assessments and your care very seriously. Please note that our patients age 17 and under will require 2 sessions for their medication management/psychiatry intake appointment in order to spend ample time speaking with our adolescent patient privately in addition to the parent(s)/guardian and compiling necessary records.
If you are having a medical emergency, please contact 843-414-2350 to get immediate mental health support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or call 911/go to your nearest emergency room.
Stop SUFFERING. Find RELIEF. HOPE is here.
FOR CURRENT PATIENTS
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FOR CURRENT PATIENTS
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FOR CURRENT PATIENTS · FOR CURRENT PATIENTS ·
PATIENT PORTAL
We’d love to hear from you!
The OnPatient Portal is a way to directly communicate with your provider about clinical questions and medication refills.
Call/text (843) 800-1303 to obtain access to your portal.
Our providers check portal messages each business day. If you do not receive a response after 48 hours, please call/message (843) 800-1303 and ask for the covering clinician.
MEDICATION PRIOR AUTHORIZATIONS
Yes, WE HATE THEM TOO.
We do everything in our power to remove the insurance red tape so that you can access the treatment you need in the quickest and most affordable way.
INSURANCE and FEES
We accept most major insurance plans. We value providing affordable care to reach as many lives as we can.
INSURANCES ACCEPTED
by most providers
Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Medicare, Tricare.
We unfortunately are unable to accept any Medicaid products. Please be aware that if you have Medicaid or a Medicaid carve out plan, you will have to pay out of pocket/fee for service.
We are unable to accept employee assistance program (EAP), workers compensation, or single case agreements.
We are unable to provide Superbills for Tricare and United/Optum.
Please call your insurance company to confirm your provider accepts your specific type of insurance as there are multiple carve out insurances. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring your own insurance benefits, deductibles, mental health coverage and eligibility but we are happy to assist with an eligibility check upon your request. You are responsible for payment if your insurance denies coverage after services are provided.
NO SHOW / LATE CANCELLATION FEES
less than 24 business hours
We highly respect our clinicians’ and administrators’ time as well as the importance of patient accountability. Therefore, we are very strict about no shows/late cancellations. Note that Monday appointments must be cancelled on Friday (24 business hours).
Therapist / MA/PhD level -$120; therapy intern - $70; LPC-A therapist - $90; Couples therapy - $120
MD/APRN/PA $140-$250 depending on appointment type/length for no show or if appointment is canceled or within less than 24 business hours. For Monday appointments, we require you to cancel the Friday prior to your appointment.
Group therapy: $40 if canceled less than 24 business hours in advance
If you cannot make your appointment in person, we always encourage you to have a virtual visit to avoid a no show/late cancellation fee.
OUT OF POCKET RATES
Psychiatrist, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant
New patient visit - $200-$300 depending on providers’ level of training/experience
Follow up medication management visit- $140-$250 depending on providers’ level of training/experience as well as length of session
New patient primary care visit - $200, primary care follow up - $150
Please refer to our current Practice Policies form to view our current out of pocket rates.
OUT OF POCKET RATES
Therapist
New patient visit: $120
45 minute therapy: $120, $90 if seeing LPC-A
Master’s degree candidate graduate counseling interns: $70 per 45-60 min therapy
Group therapy (60 min): $40 per session (no insurance accepted but can provide a superbill)
Couples and family therapy (60 min): $120
MISCELLANEOUS FEES
Letters for school, court, disability, etc: will be billed to you at out of pocket rates based on time for your provider if not completed during scheduled appointments. Letters for emotional support animals: $50.
Please note that for us to fill out disability paperwork, you must be established with our practice and consistent in treatment for at least 3 months and this must be completed during an appt session.
Credit card disputes / chargeback / bounced check: $50 fee
Portal message clinical response: Depends on time involved/refer to current practice policies
Fees for legal proceedings: Contact office for prevailing rates
Medication prior authorizations: $20 per medication out of pocket (unable to bill insurance)
PAY YOUR BILL
Call (843) 800-1303 and you can pay via Square over Onpatient, ClearGage over text, or over the phone. Our strict policy is to have an updated credit card on file and our billing staff charges automatically your copay or your deductible to cover the appt fee if you are being seen over telemedicine. Payment is due the day of service.
If you disagree with a charge, please contact our billing team prior to disputing it with your bank or there will be a $50 chargeback fee as outlined in our policies. We are charged this fee by our credit card processor, ClearGage.
Please send us a portal message if you require a detailed receipt or superbill.
If you require a short-term payment plan, please email billing@sweetgrasspsychiatry.com to be set up with our payment plan software, ClearGage.
We are sensitive to our patients’ financial constraints, however, patients who are unable to pay their bill/set up a payment plan will be referred to the Charleston Mental Health Center as a more affordable option.
Billing Questions
We use a 3rd party billing company. You can reach them directly at billing@sweetgrasspsychiatry.com. Kindly allow 72 hours for their team to carefully review all your transactions and ensure you have provided us with your up-to-date insurance information.
You may also message us over Onpatient via Sweetgrass Admin or call (843) 800-1303 but you will not be able to reach our 3rd party billing company directly through this number.
PRACTICE POLICIES & CONSENT FORMS
In order to provide you with the best treatment, bill insurance, and create clear expectations, we require all patients to fill out our online intake forms and consent forms prior to their first appointment and annually every year. Your appointment may be canceled and we cannot prescribe medications if you do not fill out these essential and legally required forms. If you choose to not fill out the forms, you will still remain accountable to the practice policies below. The easiest way to fill out these forms online is via ONPATIENT PORTAL. Please refer to our HIPAA Data User Agreement.
*Note that our practice follows a holistic treatment model and we are very conservative with controlled medications. We use controlled medications sparingly and do not go above FDA-recommended doses. For new patients with concerns about ADHD, we may require neuropsychological testing, urine drug screens, as well as records from previous providers. We also have a strict controlled medication agreement form.
TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENT POLICY
At our practice, we are committed to providing the highest quality care, whether in person or virtually.
To ensure the success of your telehealth appointments, we ask that all patients take responsibility for having a reliable internet connection and logging in at least 5-15 minutes early to confirm that everything is working properly. This allows us to maintain a smooth, uninterrupted consultation.
Please note the following guidelines for telehealth appointments:
Internet Access
It is the patient’s responsibility to ensure they have access to a stable internet connection for the duration of the appointment. Telehealth sessions conducted without proper internet access (e.g., no Wi-Fi or unstable cellular service) can result in the inability to complete the session, which will be treated as a missed appointment with applicable fees charged.
Alternative Options
If you are unable to secure reliable internet access, you are welcome to:
Visit our office for a pre-scheduled in-person appointment.
Reschedule your session at least 24 business hours in advance for a time when you can access a secure and stable internet connection.
Appointment Environment
Telehealth appointments should be treated with the same level of seriousness and confidentiality as in-person medical visits. Patients should be in a secure, private location during their session, free from distractions and with appropriate Wi-Fi or cellular service.
4. Driving and Distractions
Conducting a telehealth session while driving or in any environment with fluctuating cellular service is not appropriate. If this occurs, the appointment may need to be rescheduled and a same day cancellation fee will apply.
5. Video Visits
You are required to have your video on for the duration of your appointment as this is required for insurance billing. If you are unable to have video connection, you will be charged a the current cash rates.
While we make every effort to ensure our telehealth platform, doxy.me, runs smoothly, we have found that connectivity issues are almost always related to a patient’s internet or cellular service rather than platform malfunctions. In the rare event of a platform-wide outage, we will notify all patients with appointments on that day immediately and use an alternative HIPAA compliant video platform.
If you cannot meet the technological requirements for a telehealth appointment, we encourage you to schedule an in-person visit with one of our providers. Your health and well-being are our top priority, and we want to ensure that every appointment meets the highest standard of care.
Where EXPERTISE
meets EMPATHY
From meditation to medication management, we are available in-person or from anywhere in South Carolina.
Contact us at (843) 800-1303.