How to Book a New Appointment at SANA Psychiatry — and Answers to Common Questions

Easy Online Scheduling — Available 24/7

At SANA Psychiatry, we want scheduling to be simple and stress-free. You can request a new patient appointment any time at sana-psychiatry.com/general-5.

If you prefer personal help, you can call 314-408-2275 or email info@sana-psychiatry.com. Phone/email booking may take longer because we confirm details manually.

Appointment Availability

• Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 7:20 AM – 2:00 PM (first appointment 7:20 AM; last at 1:20 PM).

• In-person visits: Wednesdays & Thursdays (Richmond Heights / Brentwood area, St. Louis).

• Telehealth: Monday–Thursday for Missouri & Metro East Illinois residents.

• Wait time: Usually 4–8 weeks, but we maintain a cancellation list to get new patients in sooner.

Please arrive ~10 minutes early — whether your visit is in-person or telehealth — to allow check-in and review of your paperwork.

Before Your First Visit

• Complete your intake paperwork within 72 hours of booking.This lets us review your history and confirm insurance benefits ahead of time.

• Credit card on file:We ask for this to keep scheduling smooth and reduce last-minute cancellations — it’s about respecting your time and ours.

• Adults only: We do not see minors. For child/adolescent psychiatry, we recommend:

  • Anne-Marie Loth, MD – Partners in Wellness STL

  • Celeste Herleth, MD

    
    

How We Handle Insurance & Billing With HelloAlma

We’re a small, physician-run practice, so we partner with HelloAlma, a secure billing platform, to help us verify and bill your insurance efficiently.

Here’s how it works for new patients:

1. When you book: You’ll first create your patient portal account in CHARM Health (for scheduling and messaging).

2. Insurance benefits check: You’ll receive an email invite from HelloAlma to enter your insurance card details and credit card. Alma checks your benefits and estimates costs for your visits.

3. Credit card on file:

   • We require a card in both CHARM and HelloAlma — CHARM is for our internal record keeping; Alma uses the card to process co-pays and coinsurance after insurance pays its part.

4. Insurance billing: Alma files claims to your insurance on our behalf and securely bills you for any remaining balance.

   
   

This setup allows a small private office like ours to accept insurance while staying transparent about your out-of-pocket costs.

Insurance & Payment

We currently accept:

• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri

• Cigna

• UnitedHealthcare & UMR

• Carelon (formerly Beacon)

• Oscar

• Aetna

  
  

We do not accept Medicare, Medicaid, or WellFirst.

If your plan is out of network, we’ll provide a superbill for possible reimbursement.Patients can also pay using FSA/HSA accounts (check your plan’s website for how to submit).

Cancellation policy: Please cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours in advance to avoid a late cancellation/no-show fee.

Your First Appointment

• Length: About 40 minutes — arrive/log in 10 minutes early.

• We’ll do a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, talk through your goals, review past treatment, and create a plan.

• Treatment may include medications, supportive therapy, or both.

• If you’re new to ADHD evaluation, I often use MOXO™ continuous performance testing and other at-home tools to clarify attention and impulse-control concerns.

• Controlled medications (e.g., stimulants, benzodiazepines) can be prescribed when appropriate after a full evaluation.

• We cannot refill prescriptions before the first visit — state and federal laws require an initial evaluation.

  
  

Conditions I Treat

• Anxiety disorders (GAD, panic, social anxiety)

• Depression & mood disorders

• Bipolar disorder

• Adult ADHD

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Binge eating disorder (supportive care; we do not primarily treat restrictive eating disorders)

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I combine medication management with supportive therapy, looking at both your mental health and life stressors.

Common Questions

Do you offer therapy too? Yes — while I focus on medication management, I also address stressors and coping strategies and can refer to therapists if needed.

Telehealth or in-person? You can choose either (telehealth available for Missouri and Metro East Illinois). Some situations may require an in-person follow-up.

Will you talk to my therapist or primary care doctor? Yes, with your permission we coordinate to create a cohesive plan.

Can you refill meds before my first visit? No. Laws require a full psychiatric evaluation before prescribing controlled or psychiatric medications.

Do you see children or teens? No. For pediatric psychiatry, we recommend:

• Anne-Marie Loth, MD – Partners in Wellness STL

• Celeste Herleth, MD

  
  

Ready to Schedule?

Request an appointment any time — day or night — at:

👉 sana-psychiatry.com/general-5

Prefer to talk with someone? Call 314-408-2275 or email info@sana-psychiatry.com.