You may have noticed when you call our front desk staff to cancel an appointment, we always ask the same question: “when would you like to reschedule?” We do this because it is so important for your child to make up missed appointments. This is true for a few reasons:
Progress:
For progress to be made, we need your child to be here so we can work on activities towards the goal and in real-time be able to assess the situation. Our therapists write goals that are measured anywhere from 3-12 months, and we want to show insurance that attendance remains consistent so that they are on the right track for success!
Consistency:
Everyone has a routine when it comes to work, school, extracurricular activities, etc. The same goes for therapy services. Remember – “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”! Our therapists write the goals based on weekly recommendations; we understand that sometimes appointments must be changed, just like in school when sports practice ends up being canceled but they reschedule it for another day with the assistant coach. Consistency is the key: give it time and allow yourselves to be flexible knowing what your end goals are.
Insurance:
If your insurance requires authorization, our referral coordinator will request the number of visits that your child’s therapist has recommended (usually 1-4 times per week). Most insurance plans will only authorize visits for a span of 6 months. At the 6-month mark, if you haven’t used all of the visits that your child has been authorized for, there is a good chance that when we request a new authorization, insurance will decrease the number of visits approved. Your insurance company will assume since your child did not attend all the visits that their therapist recommended, it must not be medically necessary. This is why it is so important to reschedule your missed appointments. We want you to get the most out of your insurance!
For the patient to reach the established goals in their treatment plan, it is imperative that the patient regularly attends scheduled visits. We are aware that unanticipated emergencies (e.g. illness, family emergencies) take place, but we encourage you all to make sure you consider the points we discussed and reschedule your appointments. Help us and our therapy team help your child by rescheduling and attending your appointments so that we can achieve the best possible goals for your child and your family.
