OFFICE POLICIES


PAYMENT POLICIES

Rates are: $115-$125/30 minutes,   $145-$155/45 minutes,   $175-$185/ 60 minutes

  • Payment is due the day services are rendered.  If your child receives therapy more than once a week, payment is due on the last session of the week. 

  • Payments can be made via check payable to Suzanne Ashman-Kipervaser, Corp. or via ACH transfer.  ACH information available on request. 

  • Failure to pay may result in suspension of services until payment is received. During non-payment, I reserve the right to give your time slot to another child. 

  • I do not charge for our time communicating via email, text, or phone call during my business hours. 

  •  Written reports (greater than a half page) will be charged at my hourly rate. If a report is needed, please provide me with two weeks notice.

SESSION PROCEDURES

All sessions begin and end promptly at the scheduled time. If I arrive late, I will extend the session appropriately.  Session time allotment includes time spent with the caregiver or teacher discussing the child, setting and cleaning up the therapy materials, and bathroom time needed for your child. 

I reserve the right to charge an additional amount if the caregiver regularly extends the session length beyond 10 minutes after the allotted session time (e.g., if a 45-minute session is lengthened into a 60-minute session.)

CANCELLATION POLICIES

There is a 24-hour cancellation policy.  I charge for a full session if a session is canceled in less than 24 hours of the scheduled time, unless there is a sudden illness or emergency. 

Missed sessions canceled 24 hours in advance can be rescheduled the same week during working hours if I have availability. For every six-month period, I will not charge for one canceled/missed session made in less than 24 hours of the scheduled visit.  

VACATION POLICIES

I follow the New York City public school calendar and sessions will not be held on major public school holidays, unless otherwise stated.  I will give at least a one-week notice for this type of cancellation.  I reserve the right to cancel sessions for holidays not included in the New York City public school calendar and will give at least a two-week notice.  I also reserve the right to cancel sessions for personal reasons and will offer a make-up session the same week during office hours whenever possible.  Similarly, please provide me with a two-week notice for vacations and holidays. 

ILLNESS 

It is important to keep sick children at home so they have time to recover and to limit the spread of illness to others.  The following is a list of required reasons to cancel therapy:  diarrhea or vomiting in the past 24 hours, fever over 100 degrees in the past 24 hours, excessive coughing, sneezing, or runny nose, any other known communicable or contagious disease.  I will do my best to reschedule a missed session the same week, if my schedule allows.  I will not charge for a missed session due to sudden illness. If you have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

ATTENDANCE POLICIES

Sessions are on an ongoing weekly basis and regular attendance is essential for your child’s progress. I reserve the right to terminate services if a child is not attending on a weekly basis (at least 70% attendance rate), and if there are more than 2 No-Shows in a one year period.

INSURANCE POLICIES

  • Suzanne Ashman-Kipervaser, Corp. is a private-pay practice only. 

  • I am not affiliated with any insurance companies.  I am considered an “out of network provider.”

If your health insurance provides “out-of-network” benefits and you would like to submit paid invoices for approved reimbursements, the following are my procedures:

  • At the end of each month I will provide you with a superbill, including all necessary insurance codes (e.g., CPT, ICD-10 codes).

  • Preparing information for your insurance company (e.g., typed treatment notes, letters of medical necessity, monthly progress notes, or other tasks) carries an additional charge.  I reserve the right to agree or decline to provide this service on a case by case basis, depending on my availability.  This must be agreed upon before services begin.

  • Payments are made directly to my practice Suzanne Ashman-Kipervaser, Corp. at the end of each week. If you would like to pay in advance for a certain number of sessions, please let me know so we can make an arrangement.

If you plan to seek reimbursement, before you begin treatment please contact your insurance provider to find out the following information:

  • Is in-person speech therapy a covered service?

  • Can you go out of network and do you have out-of-network coverage?

  • Is pre-certification or a prescription from your child’s primary care provider required?

  • What are the exclusions and requirements of your plan?

  • Will your insurance company require a written evaluation or treatment plan? If so, how often/when will they require this?

  • Will they cover a certain number of visits per calendar year?

Once treatment begins:

  • You will submit paid invoices as your insurance company requires.  

  • Any mail that I receive from your insurance company will be scanned and emailed to you so you can follow-up. 

  • Reimbursement checks should be sent directly to you. If I receive a check from your insurance company, I will let you know and return the voided check back to the insurance company so that they can reissue the payment to you.