Short answer: usually not. Most Maryland patients can book psychiatric care directly, today, without asking anyone’s permission. Here is the longer answer, by insurance type, so nothing surprises you.
Book a Telehealth Appointment →The referral myth keeps a remarkable number of people from getting care. Many Marylanders assume psychiatry works like specialist surgery: see your primary care doctor first, get a referral, wait for it to process, then call. In reality, mental health care is treated as directly accessible under most insurance designs, and federal parity law requires plans to cover it no more restrictively than medical care. If you have a PPO, a POS plan, standard Medicare, or are paying self-pay, you can simply book a psychiatric appointment.
The exceptions are specific HMO designs. Some HMO plans, and Kaiser Permanente’s model in Maryland, route specialty care through a primary care gatekeeper or an internal behavioral health intake line. If your insurance card says HMO, spend five minutes calling the member services number on the back and ask two questions: "Do I need a referral for outpatient mental health?" and "Does that apply to telehealth providers?" Medicaid managed care organizations in Maryland generally allow direct access to behavioral health as well, since specialty mental health is administered separately.
One more distinction saves confusion: a referral (insurance permission) is not the same as a records transfer (clinical information). No referral is needed at this practice, but if you have prior psychiatric records, bringing them enriches your first visit. And even when no referral is required, letting your primary care provider know you have started psychiatric care is usually wise, since medications deserve one coordinated list.
Book directly. No referral, no gatekeeper, no waiting on paperwork. This covers most commercially insured Marylanders.
Standard Medicare allows self-referral to psychiatric care, including PMHNPs, and covers telehealth for mental health.
The one category worth a phone call. Some require primary-care referrals or in-network-only behavioral health; five minutes with member services settles it.
No referral, no gatekeeper, no claims. This practice is self-pay in Maryland; rates are listed on the Rates page.
No. Maryland patients book directly online. Visits are self-pay, $400 for the evaluation and $200 per follow-up, with nothing billed to insurance.
If your plan does not require one, waiting adds weeks for nothing. Thank them, ask for a records summary instead, and book your own appointment.
No more than for any other psychiatric concern. ADHD evaluation is standard outpatient psychiatric care and follows the same direct-access rules as everything else.
Same story: most plans allow direct access to therapists too. If you need both a prescriber and a therapist, you can book them independently, and coordination between them happens with your permission, not through referral paperwork.
Telehealth psychiatric care across Maryland, typically within one to two weeks.
Book Now →Or call/text: (703) 791-9099