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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Why do I
need to attend every session with
my child?
How much does it
cost?
Does
insurance cover any of the
individual and/or group
visits?
Are there age
restrictions?
Does my child need to be referred
by a physician?
May I bring my other children to
group sessions?
Will my child be examined for any
possible metabolic
disorders?
Will my child be
given a prescribed diet and
exercise plan?
What is screen time and why is it
important?
Why do I need to
attend every session with my
child?
Changing habits, especially
eating and activity behavior, is
very hard. Making new habits last
a lifetime is going to require a
serious commitment from both
child and parent to work together
as a team.
Families who work together
reinforce themselves in ways that
health professionals cannot. Kids
model themselves after their
parents’ behavior, and
parents work hard to keep the
commitments they make to their
children.
If either child or parent is
not ready to commit to the
program, it may be better to
delay participation until both
are ready.
How
much does it cost?
Bay Area Committed to Kids is
covered by some, but not all
insurance carriers.
For families interested in the
program without insurance
coverage, cash payment is
available.
- The initial 2-hour
evaluation is $225.
- A 12-week group is $1000
if paid in full at beginning
of group (an extended payment
plan is available at a
slightly higher rate).
- Follow-up visits are $125
and last approximately 45-60
minutes.
- The following packet
prices are available:
- 5 visits for $500 ($100
per visit)
- 12 visits for $1000 (about
$83 per visit)
- 16 visits for $1120 ($70
per visit)
- 20 visits for $1200 ($60
per visit)
All cash paying families will
be given a copy of their “super-bill”
to send to their insurance
company for possible
reimbursement.
If you cannot afford to
pay for the group sessions and
your insurance company will not
pay or reimburse you, you may be
eligible to receive a “scholarship”
on an as available, sliding scale
basis.
Are
there age restrictions?
We offer both groups and
individual visits. Age-specific
group programs for children ages
7 to 10, 11-14, and teens age 14
to 18 based on demand.
Individually, we are happy
to work with all children and
adolescents from the ages of 2 to
18.
We are also able to provide
individual visits for the adult
member of a family, as well as
family visits.
Does
my child need to be referred by a
physician?
No. Self-referral is
encouraged.
May
I bring my other children to
group sessions?
All family members, especially
other involved adults in your
child’s life, are
encouraged to attend the group
session as healthy lifestyle
changes should involve the entire
family, no matter what their
weight.
Keep in mind that the “target
child” will be the focus of
treatment, yet all family members
are encouraged to participate in
sessions.
We do ask the parent to be
responsible for the supervision
of their children. If you
think this may be difficult to do
while participating in the group,
please do not bring that
child.
Will
my child be examined for any
possible metabolic
disorders?
Yes. Each child participating
in the group classes will be seen
individually by the pediatrician
prior to joining the classes. A
thorough medical examination
concentrating on the medical
complications associated with
overweight will be performed.
Appropriate pediatric
subspecialty physicians in the
area are available for referral
as needed for medical
complications associated with
overweight. The child’s
pediatrician or family physician
will continue their routine care
of the enrolled child and will be
apprised of baseline and
follow-up measures.
Will
my child be given a prescribed
diet and exercise plan?
No. Our primary goal is
to help you and your child(ren)
to become knowledgeable about
nutrition and activity. We
will then help you identify the
modifications that work best for
you and your family. We
will support and guide you as you
learn more about healthy eating
and activity habits.
Portion sizes and an awareness of
the caloric density of foods are
strongly emphasized.
Studies have found that the more
food one is served, the more they
will eat, independent of their
actual starting appetite.
What
is screen time and why is it
important?
Screen time is the amount of
time spent watching TV, playing
video games, or on the computer
(homework an exception).
The number of hours of screen
time is strongly linked
weight gain. Not only are
you sedentary when in front of a “screen”,
but exposure to the myriad of
commercials emphasizing high,
empty calorie foods has been
linked to promoting increased
caloric intake. The
American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends limiting screen time
to a maximum of two hours a
day. Limiting screen time
is a key strategy to reducing the
amount of time spent in sedentary
behavior.
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