Does Lifespan Mental Health accept health insurance?
What do I need to do to become a new patient?
What will happen during my first appointment?
What if I am not ready to talk about something that is very painful for me to discus?
What will happen during my child/adolescent's first appointment?
How can I get refills of my medication?
Does Lifespan Mental Health accept health insurance?
We accept most major healthcare plans including BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) of Minnesota, Evernorth (formerly Cigna Behavioral Health), HealthPartners, Minnesota Health Care Programs (Medical Assistance) including PMAP plans, Optum (Medica, United Behavioral Health, United Healthcare/UMR), UCARE, and we are pending contracts with other plans. We strongly recommend that you check with your health insurance company prior to initiating services with us to understand your benefits and eligibility.
Some questions to ask your insurance company include:
- What are my mental health benefits (deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, copayment, co-insurance)?
- Is my provider in-network or out-of-network?
- Are there any limits or exclusions to coverage?
- What services are covered versus not covered?
- Do I need a referral from my Primary Care Physician (PCP)?
If we are not in-network with your insurance company or if you would prefer to elect as a self-pay status for services, we accept major credit cards and HSA debit cards. Our clinic does not offer a sliding scale fee schedule.
No Surprises Act- Legal Notice- in MN:
If you do not have insurance or you will not be using insurance to pay for your visit, you have a right to a Good Faith Estimate per the legal guidelines under the No Surprises Act. Please click on the "Forms" tab and you will see a link to a form labeled "No Surprises Act" to find additional information.
Back to TopWhat do I need to do to become a new patient?
All new patients must create an account using the emailed link generated from our electronic health care record, which is AdvanceMD. In the account, you will need to upload a copy of the front and back of your insurance card (if you are planning on using insurance) and the front and back of your identification card. You will be required to review and consent to our clinic policies. You will need to have an active credit card of HSA card on file before any any intake appointments are scheduled. If you have difficulties with uploading any of the information, please call our office so we can assist you. If you have questions about any of our clinic policies, please contact us prior to signing them as your signature indicates consent and we strive to be as transparent as possible and avoid any miscommunication.
What will happen during my first appointment?
Lifespan Mental Health offers in-office and telehealth visits. Currently, we have a single-room office inside a two-story building. At this time, we don't have a waiting room so if the door is closed and the curtain to the door window is drawn, it means there is another patient we are meeting with or we are on a confidential phone call. There are two chairs down the hallway and we will open the door and greet you to come back to the room. There are two bathrooms across the office for you to use if needed. In the future, we will remain in the same two-story building but we will be moving into a larger area with a few offices and a designated waiting area.
Telehealth appointments are conducted using a HIPAA-compliant platform that supports two-way live interactive audio and video features appropriate for telehealth visits. You can use a laptop, smartphone, or electronic tablet. Please understand that we know internet and cell phone connections can be inconsistent and we will never sit idly and wait for you to join and abruptly no-show you if you are having challenges getting connected for your visit. We will call you, send you messages, and do whatever we can to meet, so please don't worry! We have experienced unforeseen technology issues and we always find a way to connect.
During your first visit, we will ask you questions about your developmental history, your past and current social history, medical history, family medical and mental health history, and lifestyle choices including any past or current use of alcohol or other substances. We want to understand the circumstances that lead you to reaching out for help and we will discuss your current medical health problems, which includes questions about the severity and duration of your symptoms, what has helped or worsened your problems and how these challenges are impacting your functioning.
Please understand that we want you to feel heard and understood and sometimes patients comment about how they feel they aren't "saying the right things." We want you to know there is no "right" or "wrong" way to tell us your story. Your provider may ask for clarification if needed and if your provider asks you a question that you aren't sure how to answer, please don't hesitate to communicate this so we can re-phrase any questions in a different way. At the end of an appointment, your provider will share some thoughts about your mental health condition, treatment recommendations, which involves reviewing risks and benefits and alternative interventions. We are here to empower you with knowledge and we always respect patient autonomy. Please know that you do not have to give an immediate answer to your provider about treatment options and it is typical for people to think about things further and then get back to us. Please know we always have positive intent but no one can 100% predict the future. We encourage you to keep regularly scheduled office visits and reach out if you have questions or concerns so you can feel supported during your mental health journey.
What if I am asked questions about something that is very painful for me to discuss and I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk it?
There are many individuals that have struggled with trauma and that is one of the top reasons why people reach out for mental health services. We completely understand that talking about traumatic experiences can be very difficult and we want to reiterate that you have the ultimate discretion about what you are or aren't comfortable sharing. Please don't hesitate to let your clinician know this so they can support you. You can say things such as, "I don't feel comfortable talking about that right now" or "That is all I want to share about that today." Some patients request that we obtain outside records after we receive your written consent, which will explain the history of the trauma so you don't have to repeat it. Another options is we can arrange a provider-to-provider consultation with your written consent if you are working with another clinician who could provide us the history.
What will happen during my child/adolescent's first appointment?
We start appointments with children and adolescents in a similar fashion like we do with adults, but we adjust our approach depending on the age and developmental level of your child. appropriately add some additional information to try to make children and adolescents feel comfortable during their appointment. Many children and adolescents feel they are coming to a mental health appointment against their own volition because they think they are in trouble or it's because their parents need to tell someone about the "bad" things they do. We want all kids to know that everyone has feelings and people of all ages can struggle with difficult emotions and how to cope with them. We tell kids if they go to an office visit for a medical problem, the clinician will do a physical exam, which usually involves the provider looking in their ears, looking inside their mouth, listening to their heart and lungs, and checking other things to make sure they are healthy. If there is a physical health issue, they aren't in trouble and the provider is doing what they can to help them feel better. We are also a health clinic, but instead of examining someone for physical problems, we examine people about their mental health by asking questions about thoughts, emotions, and how they influence our actions and behaviors. We aren't asking these things because they are in trouble, we are asking the questions because we want to help them. We use this analogy to reassure kids that just because they are having mental health problems, it doesn't mean they are in trouble or they are a "bad" kid.
We offer lots of praise and encouragement when kids disclose their mental health concerns, because it can feel difficult and uncomfortable to talk about big emotions. They are praised for using their voice because it is so helpful for us to understand things from their perspective. The appointments with children and adolescents focus on exploring their strengths and interests as well because we want to help them feel supported while we work together to learn new skills. All appointments are meant to be a therapeutic and confidential space where people of all ages can have the psychological safety to talk about their mental health concerns.
How can I get in touch with my provider if I have any questions or concerns in between office visits?
You can call our office at 763-200-1160 during office hours or leave a voicemail if our administrative staff is unable to accept your phone call during clinic hours or if you are calling after business hours. You may send a message through your patient portal, as this is the best way to send electronic messages in a HIPAA-compliant fashion. We try to answer all questions and concerns as efficiently as possible and we kindly request that you don't send multiple messages or leave multiple voicemails so we can get through all messages as efficiently as possible. The administrative staff typically communicate the concerns to the provider, who then give instructions back to the administrative staff to relay to the patient since providers are seeing patients throughout the day. If you have a question about wanting to confirm or re-schedule your appointment or if you have other clinic-specific questions, please direct them to our administrative staff. If you have a question about possible medical concerns, such as side effects of medications, then your psychiatric provider will be responding to these.
Please note if you would like your provider to call you back directly and you do not have an appointment scheduled, you will be asked to arrange a scheduled telephone visit, which is a billable service. If your provider feels your circumstances are too complex to answer via a return message or brief telephone visit, you may be asked to schedule an office visit to assure you are receiving the appropriate care to address your concerns. If your circumstances are felt to be urgent, your provider may instruct you to go to the nearest urgent care or the nearest ER if they feel that is the appropriate recommendation at the discretion of their clinical judgement. Lifespan Mental Health does not offer crisis services and please refer to the Links and Resources tab for more information about local crisis resources.
How can I request refills of my medication?
It is important to schedule regular follow-up visits to assure your treatment is going well and we do keep a list of patients that would like to be contacted if there is an earlier opening, but appointment availability fluctuates greatly. If you need a refill of a medication, please ask your pharmacy to send an electronic request or fax us a request to 763-645-5458. You may also call the clinic and listen to the phone options and leave a message for refill requests.