Do you accept and bill my insurance?

IPC accepts all major health insurance plans (BCBS, Health Partners, Medica, United Healthcare, Aetna, Preferred One, Cigna, Tricare, MN Medicaid (Medical Assistance), and Medicare) and many smaller health plans from around the country. If you don’t see your plan listed here, just give us a call and we can let you know if we are contracted with your plan to be in-network providers.

We bill all insurance plans electronically so you don’t have to worry about claims submission. Copays are due at the time of service. If you have co-insurance or are meeting a deductible, we will invoice you for the portion your insurance carrier does not cover.

What option do I have if I don’t have insurance, or would rather not use it?

For various reasons some clients elect to avoid using their insurance. You can call us and we can inform you of the cost of services depending on what types of services you are seeking.

Clients who are experiencing hardship and may currently be without insurance can call our office and talk with our scheduling staff about sliding fee options. Many of our clinicians will reduce the usual and customary fees to make it more affordable for those paying out of pocket. This is determined by the individual clinicians based on circumstances and availability. Please call for more information.

Do you have evening and weekend appointments?

Clinicians at IPC Maple Grove set their own schedules and they may change over time. Many clinicians offer some evening appointment times throughout the week, but not every day and not every clinician. Most clinicians do not offer weekend appointments, but in some instances it has been arranged. It is best to call scheduling and specific requests can be addressed to see if there is a possible opportunity to accommodate the time you are looking for.

Do I have to see an IPC therapist in order to see a psychiatrist?

No. At IPC in Maple Grove we respect the client’s right to treat their mental health concerns with counseling, medication, or a combination of both. You have to decide what is right for you. Unlike some clinics, we do not want to restrict access to much needed services, especially psychiatric services which are in high demand. Clients are able to schedule with our psychiatrists even if they see a counselor at a different clinic, or are not seeing a counselor at all.

What happens in the first appointment?

The first appointment, whether it is with a therapist or a psychiatrist, is referred to as a diagnostic intake appointment. During this appointment the clinician is trying to gather as much information as possible about the presenting issues as well as gather global information about various areas in your life including the past. We are trying to see the whole person in the big picture so we can formulate treatment options and recommendations to discuss with you at the end of that session. There is a lot of information to collect so the clinician will be asking a lot of questions. Future sessions will take on a much different look and feel.

What happens if I miss or need to cancel my appointment on short notice?

We ask clients to provide 24 hour advance notice for cancellations. If your appointment is on a Monday, please call by Friday if you will need to miss your appointment. This allows us to make the appointment time available to clients on our waiting or cancellation list. If less than 24 hours notice is provided, a no show or late cancel fee is charged. If special circumstances are involved, please call and discuss this with scheduling or directly with your clinician.

Are you a crisis clinic, or do you have crisis appointments?

IPC is not staffed to be a crisis walk in clinic. Appointments need to be scheduled. At times we may have cancellations or openings that can be filled on short notice, but this needs to go through our scheduling department to see about availability.

Anytime there is a life threatening situation you should call 911 or go to your local hospital emergency room. If it is after hours or weekends and you feel you need to talk to a counselor about a non-emergency situation, you can call the Crisis Connection at: 612-379-6363.

Can I bring my children to my appointment?

Generally the answer to this question is no. Infants and small children have difficulty sitting still and being quiet and typically end up being disruptive to a session. We believe that toddlers and older children should not be present during sessions when intimate and private information may be overheard by the children. Our facility is not staffed to be able to leave children in our waiting room. Children 12 and older who do not require supervision may be left in the waiting room during a client’s appointment at the parent’s discretion.

How long does therapy continue for?

There is no set number of sessions for specific issues. There are a number of variables that shorten or lengthen therapy such as: complexity and number of issues, degree of insight, motivation level, and time dedicated to working on issues outside of session. A global average for most clients might be 7-15 sessions, however, this is only an average. Typically therapy is continued until goals are accomplished and symptoms have been reduced or alleviated. You and your therapist work together to decide when this has occurred.

How do I get a refill on my medications?

Please check your medication container to see if the doctor has provided any refills on the label. If so, you need only call your pharmacy to request a refill. If the label indicates no refills, you should call your pharmacy to request a refill from the doctor. Your pharmacy will electronically, or via fax, send a refill request to our office with all the information we need.

In some instances your doctor may need to see you for a medication check prior to supplying a refill. Always schedule a follow up appointment after seeing your doctor for the time frame they specify and delays in refills should not be a problem. If your doctor needs to schedule with you, our staff will contact you. Once the doctor has reviewed the refill request and approved it, your pharmacy should contact you to pick up your prescription.

What if I have billing questions?

If you have questions about a bill, or about our billing process, please call the main number and we will attempt to answer your question on the phone. If we cannot answer your question, we will have a representative from our billing office contact you directly.