Your therapist develops an individualized Plan of Care (POC) based on your evaluation, clinical needs, goals, and recommended frequency of treatment. Following the recommended frequency and duration of therapy is an important part of making meaningful progress.

For example, if therapy is recommended twice per week, attending only once per week on an ongoing basis may limit progress and may not allow your therapist to provide treatment according to the established Plan of Care.

Consistently following your Plan of Care is also important for insurance authorization and coverage. When a patient does not attend therapy at the frequency recommended by their therapist, it may be more difficult to demonstrate progress, medical necessity, and the continued need for skilled therapy. This may affect an insurance company’s decision to authorize or cover additional visits. Coverage and authorization decisions are ultimately determined by each patient’s individual health plan.

We understand that occasional cancellations and scheduling conflicts happen. Whenever possible, missed appointments should be rescheduled within one week to help maintain the recommended frequency of treatment. Make-up appointments are based on provider availability and may be offered with another qualified therapist.

If your current schedule no longer allows you to consistently follow your recommended Plan of Care, please contact our office as soon as possible. We’ll work with you to explore available scheduling options.

Patients who are unable to maintain the recommended frequency of treatment may be placed on a week-to-week schedule, returned to the waitlist, or discharged from services when we are unable to provide treatment consistent with the established Plan of Care.

Patients who do not schedule or attend an appointment for 30 calendar days may be removed from their standing appointments.

Our clinicians reserve dedicated appointment times for each patient. Consistent attendance allows us to provide effective treatment while also ensuring appointment availability for other patients who need services.

Please provide at least 24 hours’ notice when cancelling or changing an appointment. Cancellations made within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment will be subject to a late cancellation fee, unless the appointment is rescheduled. Appointments that are missed without notice will be considered a no-show and will be subject to a no-show fee.

More than three late cancellations or no-show appointments within a calendar year may result in discharge from the practice.

We encourage families to notify our office of known schedule changes - including changes involving school, work, transportation, extracurricular activities, or other recurring commitments - as far in advance as possible. This gives us the best opportunity to find an alternative appointment time.

Arriving for Your Appointment

Please arrive approximately 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment and be ready to begin therapy at the scheduled start time. Appointments begin at the scheduled time, not at the time the patient arrives.

• Patients arriving 10 minutes or more late for a therapy appointment may forfeit the session.

• Patients arriving 20 minutes or more late for an evaluation or reassessment may forfeit the appointment.

Repeated tardiness may result in the loss of a recurring appointment time, week-to-week scheduling based on availability, or discharge if we are unable to provide the frequency and duration of treatment required by the patient’s Plan of Care.

For patients under 18 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must be present in the clinic for the entire duration of every appointment.

For initial evaluations, parents and guardians are welcome to join their child in the treatment room. Your participation and insight can be especially helpful as our SLP gets to know your child and learns more about their communication, feeding, or swallowing needs.

For regular treatment visits, we kindly ask that parents and guardians remain in the waiting room whenever possible. This allows your child to work directly with their SLP in a focused setting and encourages them to actively participate and engage independently during their therapy session.

Your child’s SLP will communicate with you regarding their progress, recommendations, and ways you can support their therapy at home immediately following every session.

For evaluations and regular treatment visits, siblings and other children over the age of one will not be permitted in the treatment room during a patient’s session. This helps create a focused environment where your child can fully engage with their SLP and get the most out of their appointment.

We understand that childcare can sometimes be difficult to coordinate, so we do our best to accommodate families when needed. However, we strongly encourage that only a parent or guardian accompany the patient in the treatment room so that our SLP has the opportunity to speak with the parent and patient, complete a thorough evaluation, and keep the patient as focused and engaged as possible.

If you need to bring a sibling or another child to an appointment, please plan to have another adult available to supervise them in the waiting room.

We understand that kids (and adults!) get sick, and sometimes the best place to be is at home resting and recovering. To help protect our patients, families, and staff, please do not attend therapy when the patient has a potentially contagious illness or are too unwell to safely and meaningfully participate in therapy.

Patients should remain home when experiencing symptoms such as:

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Contagious rash

• Pink eye with drainage

• Significant respiratory symptoms

• Another known or suspected contagious illness

We encourage patients to stay home when they are sick. Illness-related absences will not negatively affect your child’s standing with our practice when you give us notice as soon as reasonably possible. If an illness develops suddenly and advance notice is not possible, please contact us as soon as you can so we can reschedule the appointment.

In general, patients may return to therapy when they have been fever-free for at least 48 hours without fever-reducing medication, vomiting/diarrhea have resolved, any applicable treatment requirements have been met, and they are feeling well enough to participate meaningfully in therapy.

Please also avoid bringing siblings or other family members who are actively ill or experiencing potentially contagious symptoms into the clinic.

Insurance Changes

Please keep your insurance information current and up to date. Notify our office as soon as possible, and before your next appointment, if you have any changes to your coverage, including:

• A new insurance company or health plan

• A new member or identification number

• A change in primary or secondary insurance

• Loss or termination of coverage

• Changes to Medicaid Managed Care or another managed-care plan

• Any other change that may affect your eligibility or benefits

Providing updated information promptly allows us to verify your benefits and obtain authorization when required.

If we are not notified of an insurance change, claims may be denied or services may not be covered. In these situations, the patient or responsible party may be responsible for applicable charges, as permitted by law and your health plan.

Insurance Billing & Patient Responsibility

As a courtesy, STFA CNY will submit claims to your insurance company for covered services.

Please keep in mind that verifying your benefits or obtaining authorization does not guarantee payment. Your insurance company makes the final determination regarding coverage and your financial responsibility when it processes each claim.

Patients are responsible for any amounts assigned by their insurance plan, including:

• Copayments

• Deductibles

• Coinsurance

• Non-covered services

Any copayments, deductibles, or coinsurance known at the time of service are due at the time of your appointment. Any remaining balance will be billed after your insurance company processes the claim and is due within 30 business days.

If you have questions about your balance or need to discuss payment arrangements, please contact our office - we’re happy to help.