FAQ

 

Do I need a referral?  You do not need a referral if your child has Georgia Medicaid, PeachCare, AmeriGroup, or Care Source.  If your child has a different type of insurance, you may or may not need a your physician to make a referral through your insurance company.  Whether or not you need a referral for insurance purposes, the child’s parent or guardian should call to make the new patient appointment.

What insurances do you accept?  We currently accept Georgia Medicaid, PeachCare, AmeriGroup, and Care Source.  We also accept many commercial insurances including Aetna, Cigna, Anthem/BCBS, United Heathcare, Memorial Health Partners and Taylor Benefit Resource.  We no longer accept PeachState/AmBetter as of October 2017.  We no longer accept Tricare as of May 2018.  Patients with commercial insurance are expected to pay for their visit on the day of service unless they provide documentation that their deductible has been met.

My child has PeachState.  What can I do?  You can call Georgia Medicaid and ask to have your child’s CMO changed because you need access to a specialist who does not accept your current CMO.  You do not have to wait until open enrollment to make this request.

My child was diagnosed ADHD but medications have not worked or caused too many side effects.  Can you help?  Yes, we enjoy finding the perfectly tailored treatment for challenging cases of inattention that interferes with learning or daily life.

How can new patients be seen sooner?  Patients who have returned the new patient paperwork, activated their parent portal account and sent a portal message requesting to be on the cancellations list are placed at the top of our cancellations list.

Can you help my child without using medication?  Yes.  Medication is not the only solution for most problems.

My child is difficult to handle and I don’t know why.  Can Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia help us figure out what the problem is?  Absolutely.

Does Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia diagnose autism? Yes, we do evaluations for autism spectrum disorder and diagnose autism.

Can Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia help my autistic child get ABA?  Yes.  Our office can perform the CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale), a parent-completed autism evaluation (MCHAT or GARS) and provide written documentation of your child’s autism in a format helpful in obtaining ABA prior authorization by Georgia Medicaid and most insurances.  We will also provide a physician’s order for ABA therapy.

Why did the office change its name to Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia?  Our office has grown to include other behavioral health providers.  The new name reflects that we are a team, not just a solo physician.

What services does Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia offer?  Diagnosis, medical management, medication management, applied behavioral analysis, case management, counseling, cognitive behavior therapy, social skills training, parent training and solution-focused therapy.

Do you provide services via telemedicine?  Yes.  Most physician and PA services and some other services are provided using telemedicine.  We require at least one in-person visit to diagnose autism.

Why can’t all my visits be in-person?  We strive to serve as many children and families as possible.  Telemedicine allows us to move efficiently from one patient to the next and we have only 2 rooms that can be used for in-person visits.  We often use our office playground for in person visits so our team can observe how your child interacts with other children.  We also appreciate that our patients often behave differently at home compared to new places.  We like to see your child both at home and the office.

Will you give my child a diagnosis during the first visit?  Probably not.  We provide comprehensive evaluations for complex conditions.  This requires meeting your child (virtually), gathering information from the child’s caregivers (typically without your child) and watching your child interact with others (often on our playground).  An autism evaluation typically requires 5 visits.

Can we do our visit from the car?  Only medication follow up visits and parent-only visits can be done from a car.  The car must be parked for both safety and so the the video connection can be maintained.  Observing a child in a car seat does not provide useful information.

How do I make the most of my first visit?  Plan to be at home with your child.  Turn off the television and encourage your child to play with their toys.  We love to watch children being themselves in a familiar place.  Using your cell phone camera flipped to show the room allows you to see us while we watch your child.

Why do you only see patients located in Georgia?  Our team is licensed to see patients in Georgia.  A license for the state in which the patient is located is legally required.

How can I get on the waiting list for ABA at Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia?  Only active patients are currently able to be placed on our ABA waiting list.  Preference is given to children living within 20 minutes of the office.  Please call or send a portal message asking for your child to be placed on our list.

Can Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia help my child get SSI?  Our office responds to records requests from the Social Security Administration.  Rarely do we specifically write letters recommending that a patient be granted SSI.  Our goal is to help your child function so well that they would not be considered “disabled”.

I heard vaccines can cause autism.  Is this true?  No.  Hundreds of high-quality scientific research studies have demonstrated that vaccines do not cause or increase the risk of autism.

My child needs treatment for substance abuse.  Can Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia help?  No.  Our team has no training in the treatment of substance abuse.

My child is hearing voices/seeing things that are not there.  Can you help?  We think hallucinations are best treated by a psychiatrist.

My child is suicidal or talking about suicide.  What should I do?  Call Georgia’s Crisis Hotline at 988.  They can assess your child and help you develop a plan.  Behavioral Pediatrics of Rural Georgia thinks suicidality is best treated by a psychiatrist.

Are your physicians board certified?  Yes, Dr. Zeanah and Dr, Zubler are board certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties in general pediatrics.

Can you be my child’s medical home?  No.  Your child will need a primary care provider.

Will you send information to my child’s primary care provider?  We would be happy to. Please remind us that you would like a consult note faxed to your child’s PCP.