What to expect during an evaluation?
The evaluation process generally involves an informational interview followed by the administration of one or more educational and/or psychological tests. During the interview, Dr. Nahas will ask about the reasons for the evaluation, review questions/concerns, and understand what the family/client wishes to accomplish by going through the process. Dr. Nahas will review developmental, educational and medical history, as well as results from previous evaluations including group testing results that could be helpful in planning the evaluation.
Although it is sometimes possible to complete testing in one sitting, it may take about 8 testing hours for a full assessment, therefore it is common for the testing sessions to be broken into 4, 2-hour blocks. Once testing is completed, the data will be analyzed and a report will be written. Dr. Nahas will contact you to schedule a final feedback session, and you will have the opportunity to meet with her to discuss the results and receive a copy of the report.
The final feedback session is a 60-90 minutes session with the person who was evaluated and/or his/her family member. During this appointment, Dr. Nahas reviews the test results, discusses what (if any) diagnoses are appropriate, and talks about recommendations and next steps for supporting the client/learner. The general turnaround time for completed reports ranges from 2-4 weeks from the date that testing is completed.
Does Dr. Nahas conduct IEEs?
Yes. Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE’s) are typically complicated and labor intensive, and the entire evaluation process takes, at a minimum 12 to 15 hours, including record review, interviews, observations in the learning environment, psychological testing, test scoring, report writing and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting attendance. Each examinee differs in the time they may take to complete testing. Each case varies in terms of the amount of records required for review. As such, some evaluations require a greater expenditure of time. More complex evaluations can take 20-30 hours or more to complete. The general turnaround time for completed IEE reports ranges from 2-4 weeks from the date that testing was completed.
How are assessments conducted in California and Florida?
Dr. Nahas implements a virtual/in-person model for evaluations. This means that Dr. Nahas conducts the intake interview and the final feedback session virtually, by phone or by video call. For the intake session, she asks the individual or family to complete history forms prior to the first meeting. For the final feedback session, Dr. Nahas sends a draft of the evaluation report, so that the individual or family can view the evaluation as she discusses the results.
The testing sessions are conducted in person by Dr. Nahas. These are the sessions where Dr. Nahas would work with the individual seeking testing.
Does Dr. Nahas bill insurance companies for psychological testing?
No. Dr. Nahas does not bill insurance companies for psychological testing but she provides an itemized invoice that may be forwarded to the health plan for reimbursement. Given that she is in-network with most plans in Southern California, a higher reimbursement rate for portion of the evaluation is likely but not guaranteed.
Because insurance companies set rules for reimbursement, Dr. Nahas cannot provide any assurance that the evaluation will be covered at all. Depending on your plan, you may need pre-authorization in order to get reimbursement for testing, and some plans do not cover psychological testing at all and/or refuse to reimburse fees that they do not deem medically necessary (e.g., academic achievement tests, records review).
Most of the testing/scoring/report writing hours are billed under the CPT code for psychological testing, which is 96130 and/or neuropsychological testing which is 96132. Additional codes to check with your plan include a diagnostic intake (90791) and the meeting to review the results (90847).
Does Dr. Nahas offer in-person therapy sessions?
No. At this time, Dr. Nahas only offers sessions via a secure digital platform.
Does Dr. Nahas bill insurance companies for therapy?
Yes. Dr. Nahas is in-network with most health plans, and she bills insurance companies directly for individual therapy sessions. Most clients have a copay that must be paid to Dr. Nahas at the time of the service, and some clients have a deductible that must be met before their health insurance begins to pay for services. You may wish to contact your health plan directly to learn about your mental health benefits and to find out whether Dr. Nahas is in-network with your specific health plan. Since Dr. Nahas only offers online sessions, is very important to check with your plan whether you have telehealth benefits.
Where can I find the history forms?
The minor history form can be found here. The adult history form can be found here.