Dr. Kardong is not an in-network provider for any insurance companies.

If you plan to seek insurance reimbursement to cover all or some of your cost to see Dr. Kardong, please contact your insurance company to check your benefits prior to making your first appointment.

A psychiatrist is the only type of mental health provider who has completed four years of medical school to earn their MD degree, followed by four additional years of residency training to become a specialist in Psychiatry.  A psychiatrist is the only mental health provider who can provide both psychotherapy and medication management when needed.

It is very important that you tell your insurance company that you will be seeing a physician/MD.  The coverage is usually much better than it is if you are seeing another type of mental health provider.  This is often covered under Medical Care vs. Mental Health Care, which is generally to your advantage.

California law AB 88 requires insurance companies to reimburse out-of-network physicians who are psychiatrist at the same % as out-of-network physicians in any other specialty, eg Surgery, OB-GYN, etc.

They are not allowed to reimburse at the rates used for non-MD providers but may quote you that rate erroneously.

This also provides unlimited MD visits vs the limited number allowed for other types of providers.

If you know the % paid for out-of-network MD’s, that will be the reimbursement for Dr. Kardong.

We are providing you with this information because of how confusing health care coverage has become and to ensure you are compensated for medical care (MD’s) and not mental health care (non-MD’s).

Questions you may want to ask your insurance company:

• Will my visits to Dr. Kardong be covered under my Medical Care Benefits?

–In this case, your benefits should be covered in the same way your other out of network physicians are covered, e.g. 80%

–If your visits will be covered under your Mental Health Care benefits, eg those outside of California, this coverage is typically managed differently than the coverage you have for other out-of-network physicians.

• What are my benefits to see an out-of-network MD / psychiatrist?

• What is the amount reimbursed per visit and how many visits are covered?

• Is prior approval needed from my primary care doctor to see a specialist?