Frequently Asked Questions
Stella Psychiatry is an online-only mental health service. All appointments are conducted via HIPAA-Compliant videoconferencing software Zoom to protect your privacy.
Unfortunately, only patients who live in MA or NY can be seen in the practice.
Stella Psychiatry does not contract with any insurance plans. All payments due at time of service. I am considered an Out of Network (OON) Provider. A superbill will be provided upon request to submit OON claims.
I accept payment through the HIPAA-compliant payment system Ivy Pay. You will receive a text message following the first intake appointment prompting you to input your payment information, which will be used to provide proper payment for all subsequent billable services.
Due to licensing regulations, all patients must physically be located in the state of MA or NY at the time of appointment.
Stella Psychiatry has flexible scheduling and will accommodate special appointment requests on a case-by-case basis.
I believe that recovery is best achieved via an interdisciplinary team of a psychiatrist, therapist, and primary care provider. As such, I require that you have a primary care provider to begin and maintain treatment.
Yes. While a prescription for a controlled substance issued by means of telemedicine must generally be predicated on an in-person medical evaluation (21 U.S.C. 829(e)), the Controlled Substances Act contains certain exceptions to this requirement. During the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), authorized providers can prescribe controlled substances via telehealth, without the need for an in-person medical evaluation. The Administration’s plan is to end the COVID-19 public health emergency on December 31st, 2024.
After this time, all controlled substances will be prescribed in close collaboration with your PCP.
We do not charge for canceled appointments provided you give a minimum notice of 24 hours. We do charge full fee for cancellations with notice less than 24 hours.
We do not provide emergency coverage. If you or your child is having a medical or psychiatric emergency, please go to your nearest emergency department or call 911. Please inform me of the emergency after you or your child are safe.
For sensitive clinical information, please communicate with me through the Luminello patient portal. Turn-around time for all electronic communications is generally 1-3 business days. I do not regularly monitor email, the Luminello patient portal, or other electronic communications when on weekend and when I am away. For urgent clinical matters, please call me or my coverage if I am away. I generally respond to telephone calls within one business day.
Follow up visits will be scheduled at the end of every appointment. For changes, please call (617) 221-5040 or send a message through the Luminello patient portal.