Client Payment Agreement & Cancellation Policy
Please carefully read the following agreement. It explains your financial obligations while you are my client and my policies regarding any session cancellations. Payment is always due prior to service. Session packages must be paid in full prior to service. I have instituted the below policies due to last minute cancellations, scheduling changes, and no-shows. The words “appointments” and “sessions” are used interchangeably.
Client Financial Policy:
I am committed to providing you with the best possible care. I need your assistance and your understanding of my payment policy.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
Information in our Website is for educational purposes only. Our Website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical guidance. You should always consult your health care provider with any questions you have regarding your medical conditions. By visiting our Website, you have not established a clinician-patient relationship with Caitlin Russell.
Although Caitlin Russell is a health care professional, she is not a physician and cannot diagnose or treat disease. She can only provide nutritional advice and guidance. Some of the advice she provides is not universally accepted and is neither sponsored, approved, recommended nor endorsed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Heart Association (AHA), American Diabetes Association (ADA), or Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
If you are currently taking medication for conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, it may be necessary to adjust your dosage as you follow advice on our Website. Please work closely with your primary care physician and do not stop taking medication without discussing it with your provider.
Do not follow advice on our Website if you are pregnant, nursing, underweight, have an eating disorder or are a child.
Individual results will vary.
Appointments:
Individual appointments are scheduled for a specific time slot and reserved exclusively for you. Missing a scheduled appointment hurts 3 people.
1) You – because you do not receive counseling that will help you achieve your health goals.
2) Me – because I prepare ahead of time for each appointment in order to best serve you.
3) Other clients – because someone else in need of counseling could have benefitted from the missed appointment time.
Missed Appointment Policy:
Clients who miss a phone or Skype session or who cancel a session with less than 24 hours notice will be billed the full amount of the missed session unless I am notified at least 24 hours in advance or (1 business day), or in cases of true emergency (hospitalization, natural disaster, etc.).
For prepaid package sessions, clients will forfeit one session if they fail to show for their scheduled phone or Skype session or if they cancel their session as part of their package with less than 24 hours notice unless we are notified at least 24 hours in advance or (1 business day), or in cases of true emergency (hospitalization, natural disaster, etc.).
Insurance:
In general, most insurance companies are not focused on prevention or wellness services. Instead, they rely on the medical model that is centered around drugs and surgery. I am committed to a healthcare model that addresses underlying causes of your symptoms by offering specific nutrition and lifestyle recommendations. I do not currently accept insurance as I have a virtual private practice and insurance does not cover any virtual/telephone/Skype work. Your insurance contract is between you, your employer and/or the insurance company. Not all services are covered by all contracts. All fees and payments for services are your responsibility.
Charges for Caitlin’s Services:
Since I am a solo-preneur, I must have malpractice insurance, pay for my own website, pay for administrative fees (ie. online scheduling, credit card fees, yearly website maintenance, etc.), fees for maintaining my dietitian credentials, pay for required continuing education credit fees, pay for office supplies and more. I do what I do because it is my calling! If I were to work in a more traditional environment, I realize that I would be fully supported by the healthcare reimbursement system. But I chose to do the work I do and the way I do it (virtually) because I love what I do and get great satisfaction knowing that I help clients transform their life for the better in my own unique way.
Returned Check Policy:
Any checks returned for insufficient funds are forwarded to a check exchange program which pursues collection of the amount of the check. Additionally, a fee of $35 will be charged by Russell Nutrition, LLC for checks returned for insufficient funds. Balances older than 30 days may be subject to additional collection fees.
Refund Policy:
Due to the nature of counseling and the time spent preparing for each client session, there is no refund on services or purchases rendered.