COVID-19 PRACTICE GUIDELINES

As the situation with the novel Coronavirus evolves, I deem it important to inform you of what I am doing to ensure continuity of your care.

All major insurance companies including Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Aetna, and Maryland Medicaid have expanded coverage to cover telehealth such as secure (HIPPA compliant) video counseling sessions. The purpose of the expansion is to ensure that you are getting the support and help that you need during this trying times. 

In the last 48 hours, states have started the implementation of “shelter in place order" to curtail the spread of COVID-19. I know that the state of Maryland have not specifically announced any order of such, however, I believe the socially responsible step to take at this time is to move the practice to a Secure telehealth platform.

Effective Monday (March 23, 2020), all counseling appointments will be conducted via  “Telehealth by Simple Practice”. This secure app is very simple to use and it is available for download  from your App store (iOS) or Play store (Android). This app is also available to use on your desktop or tablet. For detailed instruction on how to download and use the app, please follow this link: https://support.simplepractice.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003183011-Telehealth-FAQs-for-clients

For your safety, this policy will be in place for at least 45 days as we all grapple with this new normal. If you have any questions or if you need further clarification, feel free to call or text me. 

Warm Regards,

Ganiyat Badmus, LCSW-C

Clinical Director