Diagnostic Screening

1. Diagnostic screening assesses for symptoms of up to 60 psychiatric conditions.
2. Results help clarify your diagnoses and informthe  treatment plan
3. Our psychometric team administers testing under a licensed psychologist's supervision
4. Assessments are primarily completed independently online but may include a proctored component (if needed).

I would like to complete Diagnostic Screening. What are the next steps?

To complete Diagnostic Screening, you must have an appointment and be referred for Diagnostic Screening by one of RCBM’s licensed clinicians. Currently, we do not offer our screenings as a stand-alone, outside service to non-patients.

New Patients: If you are not already a patient at RCBM, please visit https://www.rcbm.net/behavioral-medicine/first-visit/ and complete the “New Patient Pre-Registration Form.” After you submit that form, our patient coordinator will contact you to discuss the next steps

Current Patients: If you are already a current patient at RCBM – meaning you have been seen by one of our providers in the past six months – please talk to your provider about completing diagnostic screening.

Once a clinician submits a referral form, a contract will be automatically sent to you. When you complete the contract, a screening team member will assign you to a psychometrician, and screening materials will be sent within 5 business days.

What does the Diagnostic Screening process entail?

For all age groups, assessments are currently completed online from the comfort of the patient’s home. RCBM is NOT conducting in-office screening at this time.

Adults (18+)

Self-Report Data: Adult patients will generally complete screening in two parts. Part 1 contains 2-5 links, and Part 2 includes one direct assessment link. Additional assessments may be assigned if requested by the clinician. You will receive an email from your assigned psychometrician with the links to the assessments. Once all assessments (links) are completed, your assigned psychometrician will review the results and may send additional assessments for further evaluation. An email will be sent if this is the case. If no additional assessments are needed, the psychometrician will require 2-3 business days to process your data, and results will be requested by the next business day.

Observer Data: Data is also collected from another person in the Adult patient’s life who knows them well. For screening purposes, this person is called an “Observer” and is usually one’s partner, roommate, parent, or close friend. The “Observer” completes two short assessments based on their observations of you, the patient.

Teens (ages 13-17)

Self-Report Data: Teens typically complete the screening in two parts. Part 1 contains 2-3 links, and Part 2 includes 1 direct assessment link. Additional assessments may be assigned if requested by the clinician.

Parent Data: We ask each parent to complete several assessments about their teen’s behavior and functioning. Each parent will receive their own set of screening materials in one part, containing 2-3 links. A singular parent will receive Part 2, which includes one direct assessment link. Each parent should complete their set of assessments individually.

Teacher Data: Your teen’s teacher will be asked to complete 2-3 rating scales about your child’s behavior and functioning in their current academic setting. Please see the “Teacher Collection” FAQs section for RCBM’s teacher data collection requirements.

Children (ages 8-12)

Self-Report Data: Children typically complete the screening in a single email containing 1-3 Parts and 4-7 links.

Parent Data: We ask each parent to complete several assessments about their child’s behavior and functioning. Each parent will receive their own set of screening materials in two parts: Part 1 contains one link, and Part 2 includes 2-3 links. Each parent should complete their set of assessments individually.

Teacher Data: Your child’s teacher will be asked to complete 2-3 rating scales about your child’s behavior and functioning in their current academic setting. Please see the “Teacher Collection” FAQs section for RCBM’s teacher data collection requirements.

Younger Children (ages 4-7)

Self-Report Data: No Self-Report assessments are completed by children in this age group.

Parent Data: We ask each parent to complete several assessments about their child’s behavior and functioning. Each parent will receive their own set of screening materials in two parts: Part 1 contains one link, and Part 2 includes 2-3 links. Each parent should complete their set of assessments individually.

Teacher Data: Your child’s teacher will be asked to complete 2-3 rating scales about your child’s behavior and functioning in their current academic setting. Please see the “Teacher Data Collection” FAQs section for RCBM’s teacher data collection requirements.

Screening Timeline

All assessment links can be completed on an iPad/tablet, except for CNS Vital Signs (i.e., Part 3 for children and adolescents ages 8-17, or Part 5 in some adult screenings ages 18+). To run correctly, the CNS Vital Signs assessment must be completed on a computer. Please do not use a cell phone to complete the diagnostic screening assessments.

What does screening cost, and does my insurance cover it?

Full payment is due upon completion of screening. The cost you are responsible for will be reflected on your monthly billing statement, or you can view your account balance by logging in to the patient portal shortly after screening is completed. We encourage patients to reach out to our billing staff, Alana Gillespie (agillespie@rcbm.net) and James Fields (jfields@rcbm.net), to arrange a payment plan, if desired or necessary.

Insurance coverage of diagnostic screening (procedure codes 96138 and 96139) varies by plan. If it is covered, please note that you will be responsible for your deductible and one co-pay/coinsurance per screening unit (half hour). If it is not covered, you will be responsible for payment in accordance with RCBM’s Private Pay fee schedule.

Ultimate payment responsibility rests with the patient.

Is Diagnostic Screening billable to my insurance?

Diagnostic Screening at RCBM is a billable service to certain BCBS-PPO, BCBS-Federal, Aetna, Cigna, and Medicare Plus Blue plans only*. 

·       *Please be aware of mental health care outs: Some insurance policies have a “carve out” where mental health benefits are provided through a contract with a separate provider or insurance company. For example, some BCBS medical insurance plans have a carve-out that requires all mental health claims to be submitted and processed by Beacon Health Options. Our screening is NOT billable to Beacon Health Options, and therefore, patients with this carve-out plan will be responsible for the Private Pay fee for Diagnostic Screening.

·       *BCBS PPO through Ascension typically does NOT cover the diagnostic screening provided by RCBM. The Billing Department will bill Ascension BSBS for the diagnostic screening. Please note that if the claim is denied, you will be responsible for the out-of-pocket screening costs.

·       *Note that ONLY Medicare through BCBS – the Medicare Plus Blue plan – is billable for screening. Screening cannot be billed to any other Medicare plans.

This information is NOT a guarantee of benefits or payment. If your insurance company is billed and you have not met your deductible, you can expect to pay between $150.00 and $400.00, depending on the services performed and the patient’s age.

Private Pay Rates: If your insurance carrier is not listed above, RCBM is *not able to bill* your diagnostic screening to your insurance, and you will be responsible for the Comprehensive Diagnostic Screening Private Pay rate of $350.00 for individuals ages 8+; $250.00 for individuals ages 4-7.

The contract states Diagnostic Screening is not billable to my insurance, but I called my insurance company, and they said that it is billable. So is it billable? 

RCBM’s Diagnostic Screenings are conducted by trained psychometricians under the supervision of Joel L. Young, MD, Medical Director. RCBM’s psychometricians are responsible for scoring the data and compiling it into the patient’s diagnostic screening report. Some insurance companies only cover screening or assessment services completed by a licensed mental health clinician (e.g., LP, LLP, LMSW, LPC, etc.) and do not cover assessments completed by psychometricians.

If our website states that we are unable to bill your insurance, your insurance does not cover diagnostic screening completed by trained and supervised psychometricians.

If the 96138 and 96139 codes are a covered benefit on your insurance plan, but are not billable to your insurance by RCBM (because we are not “in-network” for screening/evaluation services specifically), you have the option of finding an in-network provider to perform the screening. *If you proceed with the Screening at RCBM, you are responsible for out-of-pocket payment of this service.*

*Note. All diagnostic interpretations are made by one of RCBM’s licensed clinicians.

Diagnostic Screening was once billable to my insurance but according to the contract, now it is not billable. Is this correct?

Diagnostic Screening billing codes and contracts may change. If our contract indicates that this code is not billable to your insurance, this is the most current information we have.

What if I cannot pay for screening and do not want to proceed due to the cost of Diagnostic Screening?

(agillespie@rcbm.net) and James Fields (jfields@rcbm.net) to discuss payment plan options.

If you have contacted our billing department and do not want to proceed with screening, please contact your clinician regarding how this may impact your care and treatment planning. Please notify your assigned psychometrician via email so they may update your chart.

What are the Observer Forms? If I do not have anyone to complete the Observer Forms, can I still complete screening?

• If you are an Adult and participating in diagnostic screening at RCBM, you will be asked to provide the name and email address for an “Observer” on the Screening Contract form.
• Observer Data is collected from one person in an Adult patient’s life who knows them well. This person is referred to as an “Observer” and is usually a partner, roommate, parent, or close friend.
• The “Observer” completed one short assessment about the Adult patient’s recent behavior and functioning.
• It is highly recommended that all Adults completing the Screening provide the name and email address of an “Observer.” This allows your clinician to look for patterns across reports (you and the observer) in the screening data and can aid in obtaining an accurate diagnosis.
• Please let your psychometrician know if you did not provide an Observer’s contact information on the Screening contract, but would like to do so now.

Why is teacher data so important for Diagnostic Screening?

We strongly encourage you to provide the contact information for one teacher on the screening contract. Your child spends several hours every day at school, surrounded by peers and responding to a variety of task demands and unique situations not often encountered at home or in the community. Teachers provide valuable observations of your child’s daily behavior and functioning at school.

At RCBM, we highly value teacher input for many reasons. Most notably, the teacher’s school-based data plays an essential role in ensuring that your child is accurately diagnosed and that appropriate treatments are recommended. In fact, the diagnostic criteria for some conditions require symptoms to be present in multiple settings, such as both home and school.

*Note: For some conditions, RCBM providers may require that teacher data be obtained as part of the screening process for some conditions/cases. The results may be delayed if not completed in a timely manner, and/or some treatment options may be limited without teacher data.

Where do I provide the contact information for my child’s teacher?

On the Screening Contract, you will be asked to provide the name and email address of ONE teacher who knows your child well and ideally teaches a core/academic subject, such as math, language arts, or science.

By providing the teacher’s name and contact information on the Screening Contract, you consent to our contacting them via email and asking them to complete a couple of rating scales about your child.

Who is responsible for making sure my child’s teacher completes their screening materials?

We sent multiple reminders via email to your child’s teacher, prompting them to complete the rating scales. However, ultimately, it is your responsibility to inform your child’s teacher that:

1)       They will be receiving these rating scales via email from RCBM

2)       They will have about 2 weeks to complete the rating scales online.

Please notify your child’s teacher as soon as you complete the screening contract.

My child is in middle school or high school and has many teachers. Do all of their teachers need to complete a separate Teacher Report form?

No. Please choose only ONE teacher who knows your child well and ideally teaches a core/academic subject (i.e., math, language arts, science) to complete the assessments.

You will be asked to provide this information on the Screening Contract form so we can email the teacher directly. Please let your psychometrician know if you did not provide the name and email address of one of your child’s teachers, but would like us to do so now.

It is highly recommended that we obtain Teacher data for your child. This allows your clinician to look for patterns across reporters (your child, you, the child’s other parent, and a teacher) and across settings (home, school, community) in the screening data and aids in obtaining an accurate diagnosis.

I did not receive the Screening Contract, even though my clinician said I would receive it shortly after my appointment. When can I expect this email to arrive?

• Screening contracts are sent to patients immediately upon completion of a clinician's referral form.
• If you have not received it, please search your email for ”RCBM Screening Contract”.

*Make sure to check your spam/junk folder too!

• If you cannot find the Screening Contract, please get in touch with COMPASS at our General Diagnostic Screening department at screeningteam@rcbm.net or TEXT (248) 609-4483 with your name (or your patient's name, if applicable). You may also contact your clinician at their email address to notify us that you have not received the Screening Contract yet. We will send/resend it to you on the following business day.

I submitted the Screening Contract. When will I receive my Assessments?

• You can expect to receive your diagnostic screening materials within 5 business days of receiving your signed Screening Contract form. The email will have RCBM Diagnostic Assessments in the subject line.
• If it has been more than 5 business days, please search your email for “RCBM Diagnostic Assessments.”

*Make sure to check your spam/junk folder too!

If you cannot find them, please get in touch with COMPASS at our General Diagnostic Screening department at screeningteam@rcbm.net, or with your clinician at their email address, to let us know you have not received the diagnostic screening materials yet. We will send/resend it to you on the following business day.

The Assessment link(s) I was sent are not working. What should I do?

• First, please ensure you complete the assessments in Google Chrome, as they work best in this browser. Check that the web browser is fully expanded to view all the screen contents.
• If the assessment continues to report errors, please clear your browser history and cookies, then try the links again.
• If the problem persists, please contact your psychometrician at their email address, and they will troubleshoot the issue promptly.

Scheduling a Results session and Obtaining the Screening Report.

How soon after I complete screening will I be contacted to schedule my Results appointment?

• After you complete all of the assessments, you will receive a phone call from the RCBM front office to schedule your results appointment.
• You will receive this phone call within 5 business days of submitting your final assessment (excluding holidays).
• If you believe you have completed all of the assessment links and have not received a call to schedule your results appointment after 5 business days, please 
  • 1) Review the original email sent to you by your Psychometrician and double-check that you have completed all the assessment links, and then 
  • 2) Contact your Psychometrician via email to confirm all assessments have been completed.

Will I receive a copy of my Diagnostic Screening Report?

• After your results session with your RCBM clinician, you will receive a copy of your report via email. If you do not receive a copy after your session, please contact the Front Office at (248) 608-8800.

How soon after I complete the screening will I be contacted to schedule my Results appointment?

• After you complete all of the assessments, you will receive a phone call from the RCBM front office to schedule your results appointment.
• You will receive this phone call within 5 business days from the date you submitted your final assessments (excluding holidays)
• If you believe you have completed all of the assessment links and have not received a call to schedule your results appointment after 5 business days, please 
  • 1) Review the original email sent to you by your Psychometrician and double-check that you have completed all the assessment links, and then 
  • 2) Contact your Psychometrician via email to confirm all assessments have been completed.

Will I receive a copy of my Diagnostic Screening Report?

• After your results session with your RCBM clinician, you will receive a copy of your report via email. If you do not receive a copy after your session, please email your psychometrician.