What kind of services do you provide?

Dr. Hidalgo is a Board-certified psychiatrist and she provides medication management and psychotherapy. Services are offered to adults (>18 year old) living in North Carolina and Florida. Please see Services for more information.

Services we do not provide

• Emotional Support Animal letters
• Suboxone treatment
• Assessments for ability to return to work, ability to own a firearm or weapon, ability to drive a certain vehicle, etc.
• Couples or Family Therapy
• Transcraneal Magnetic Stimulations/Electroconvulsive Therapy
• Disability evaluations
• Forensic evaluations
• Court ordered treatment
• Certain types of psychotherapy such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy).

Are you able to provide services in Spanish?

Yes. Dr. Hidalgo is a native Spanish speaking doctor.

If I won't be going to an office, how will I see the doctor?

Services are provided using a telemedicine platform (videocall) that completely protects your information.You no longer have to worry about fighting traffic or taking time off to see the doctor. All you need to see the doctor is an internet connection and a phone, tablet or computer.

Where are you located?

We do not have a physicial office as our services are 100% online. Dr. Hidalgo provides telepsychiatry services from Raleigh, NC and serves patients in North Carolina and Florida.

What are your business hours?

Our front desk is available 9-5 PM (ET). Our services are provided by appointment only. This gives you the flexibility to be seen after business hours or on the weekends, whenever is most convenient for you!

Are you able to prescribe medications?

Yes. Dr. Hidalgo sends prescriptions electronically directly to your pharmacy.

Are there any medicines that you won't prescribe?

• Since our appointments are performed over video, federal regulations prohibit Dr. Hidalgo from prescribing controlled substances such as stimulants (like adderall, ritalin, etc.) and/or benzodiazepines (like xanax, klonopin, ativan, etc.) without an in-person evaluation. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic these rules have been relaxed some. Therefore, for the moment:
• Dr. Hidalgo can prescribe controlled substances (such as benzodiazepines) ONLY if you need help stopping them.
• Controlled substances will not be prescribed if you are using marijuana (cannabis) or other substances or using sedatives like pain medications (suboxone, hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, etc.).
• Even if you have been prescribed stimulant medications before, Dr. Hidalgo will only prescribe them after a rigorous evaluation and if they are indicated.
• Controlled substances will not be prescribed earlier than scheduled and prescriptions lost or stolen will not be replaced without a police report.
• You may be asked for a random Urine Drug Screen during course of treatment. This is done to either monitor compliance with medications or monitor the presence of illicit substances.
• Prescription Monitoring Program is checked on every patient. This is to ensure monitoring of controlled substances and to avoid duplicate prescriptions. The Prescription Monitoring Program asks for us to submit your name and date of birth, identifying Dr. Hidalgo as your provider.

How much do your services cost?

Please see Fees and Insurance. The cost of follow up appointments depends on the services provided by Dr. Hidalgo. In your initial appointment, you and Dr. Hidalgo will discuss treatment options in detail, including length of treatment, frequency of appointments as well as cost.

You don't take insurance, why would I see someone out of network?

Dr. Hidalgo is not part of any health insurance panel. She is an out-of-network provider. She has adopted this modality for several reasons: 1. Less interference from insurance companies: Many insurance companies place restrictions on assessments as well as the type and frequency of treatments doctors recommend. This may lead you to receive suboptimal treatment or not receive treatment at all, leaving you unhappy. 2. There is more transparency: As a patient you know exactly what you are paying and you don’t have to worry about getting a bill from the insurance company later on. 3. Better healthcare partnership with your doctor: This is probably the most important one! Insurance companies usually don’t pay doctors very well. In turn, many doctors end up seeing a large amount of patients in order to compensate for low reimbursement rates. This means the doctor has less time to establish a relationship with the patient that can facilitate change. Dr. Hidalgo is a committed and dedicated psychiatrist who believes in spending quality time with patients. Without insurance companies dictating how long patients need to be seen or what medicines to prescribe, Dr. Hidalgo is able to develop close relationships with her patients and tailor treatment to their needs. 4. Less physician burnout: Without insurance dictating care, there is also less paperwork and reduced staffing needs, this way doctors are less burned out and better able to focus on just you and your care. 5. You want services your insurance does not offer: For instance, you may want to be seen only by a female psychiatrist, or someone that speaks Spanish. These are just a few reasons why you may want to choose to work with an out-of-network provider. Please also keep in mind this does not mean we recommend you opt out of having health insurance. Having health insurance can be helpful and in some cases, life-saving.

How will I be able to afford your services?

Most insurance companies will reimburse you for services provided by out-of-network providers, except Medicare and Medicaid. The first step to take is to contact your insurance company and understand your coverage. You may want to inquire about your out-of-network benefits including those for mental health, if there is a prior authorization that needs to be completed, understand how you submit claims and how much will your insurance cover for services provided. Please see Fees and Insurance for more information. The process of submitting a claim to your insurance company is usually fairly easy. Some companies are able to assist you with this ( myclaimly.com).

I am ready to start treatment! What do I do next?

Click on Schedule. We ask potential patients to fill out a screening form to start. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to send us an email at info@luxpsychiatry.com

Are you taking any new patients?

Yes! We do not discriminate against gender, sexual identity, race, nationality, political views, religion, spiritual practices, etc.

What will happen during my first appointment?

• Duiring your first appointment, Dr. Hidalgo will thoroughly review your reason for seeking care and background. The appointment will generally last one hour.

• All new patient evaluations are just a consultation and don't establish a doctor-patient relationship.

• Filling out the medical history questionnaire as this will help make the most of your appointment.

• You and Dr. Hidalgo will discuss preliminary impressions and treatment options. If you both decide to work together, then you will discuss the structure of your treatment. Dr. Hidalgo will also continue to assess appropriateness of telemedicine/telepsychiatry.

• Dr. Hidalgo will provide recommendations to meet your needs, expectations and abilities. Dr. Hidalgo will not initiate treatment (including prescribing medications) if that is not the case.

• Further assessments may be required for Dr. Hidalgo to complete the consultation and assessment.

• If we cannot meet your needs, we will not accept you as a patient.

• In case you do not agree with Dr. Hidalgo’s treatment recommendations and/or decide we are not a good fit for you, our initial appointment fees will still apply even if you decide not to pursue treatment.

• If you miss your first appointment, you will be charged the fee for the appointment ($300).

• If a medication is prescribed, you will be provided with a Consent for Treatment form for you to review and sign.

Your follow-up appointments

• If medications are prescribed, Dr. Hidalgo may recommend the patient return in 2-3 weeks for a follow-up appointment.

• The frequency of appointments will vary depending on your needs (ranging from once a week to once every 3 months).

• Appointments that are focused on medication management only usually last 25 minutes.

• If we determine that therapy should be part of your treatment and you decide to receive therapy from Dr. Hidalgo, it is best for patient to attend therapy once every 1-2 weeks. These appointments usually last 50 minutes.

Photography or recording (audio and/or video) is NOT permitted during your appointments (new or follow up).

What if I need to talk to the doctor or have an emergency?

• As a solo physician practice, Dr. Hidalgo generally makes herself available to patients and we encourage patients to contact our clinic with questions or concerns, however, Dr. Hidalgo is not available for your needs 24/7.

• We do not provide weekend or evening coverage.

• You may contact Dr. Hidalgo by calling our office at 919-646-1914 during business hours, emailing us (info@luxpsychiatry.com) or using the Patient Portal. Please allow 48 hours for Dr. Hidalgo top return your call/email.

• Email may not be secured to discuss clinical issues, therefore, please use secure messaging through Patient Portal.

• EMAIL COMMUNICATION SHOULD NEVER BE USED IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY OR FOR URGENT REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.

• If you cannot wait for Dr. Hidalgo to contact you back and/or it is a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You may also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800- 273-TALK (8255), which is a confidential hotline staffed by trained mental health counselors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Please familiarize yourself and your family with the information on available resources in your area. Please see our Resources Page for useful information including information of Emergency Resources in Florida and North Carolina.

• Any communication will become a part of your medical record.

What if I have to cancel or miss an appointment?

Cancellations/ No Shows

• A late cancellation is when the scheduled appointment is cancelled less than 24 hour before your appointment. We understand that sometimes unexpected events occur which may cause you to miss your appointment; we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible.
• You can cancel and schedule appointments using the Patient Portal.
• If you cancel an initial Psychiatric Evaluation appointment less than 24 hours before your appointment or you do not show to your appointment, you will be charged the full fee for your session.
• If you cancel a follow up appointment less than 24 hours before your appointment or you do not show to your appointment, we will assess a fee of $100 (for a 25-30 min appointment) or $150 (for a 50 min app).

Late arrivals/ Missed appointments

• If you are late for your session, you will only be seen for the remainder of the time left in your appointment time slot.
• Since you will nevertheless be charged for the full amount of the session, it is to your great advantage to be on time for all sessions.
• Should you arrive more than 15 minutes late for a standard follow-up session or more than 30 minutes late for an extended follow-up session, it will be considered a missed appointment. You will be asked to reschedule so that an appropriate amount of time and attention may be devoted to your care.
• You will still be responsible for payment of the missed session. Your insurance company may not reimburse you for fees related to late cancellation/no-show/missed appointment.

How do I prepare for a video visit?

* You should be in a place that is quiet and private. * Ensure there is proper lighting. * Before your appointment, you will receive a link reminding you of your appointment and the link to our virtual waiting room. * You will need a desktop computer, laptop computer, ipad (tablet) or smartphone with access to a webcam with microphone and speaker with an Internet connection with at least 750 kb/s download and upload speeds. If you will be using a smartphone, make sure you have a tripod or another way to hold your phone, as your hand may get tired from holding the phone during the session. This also will ensure the clarity of the image. * Many people choose to use a computer for the videocall and have their phones available as back up. * Make sure you use either Google Chrome or mozilla Firefox. Doxy.me may not work with Safari. *Please check in at least 5 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time so that your appointment can start right on time. For more information, check out Video Appointment.