Do I take your insurance?

This is a question I get frequently from prospective clients during our free consultation. I understand many people can only receive mental health treatment if they use their insurance benefits, and many clinicians thrive on paneling with insurance companies. There are a few reasons, however, why I don’t work directly with insurance companies.

Diagnosis & Privacy

Most people don’t realize in order to use insurance benefits for mental health, you must have a diagnosis. This is called “medical necessity,” meaning you and I have to prove that you need treatment, or your insurance company can deny your claim request. Insurance companies also require continued proof of medical necessity, or they can deny future sessions. 

One of my concerns is that diagnoses go on your medical record, following you for years to come. This is important, because your diagnosis could be considered a pre-existing condition, and can have an impact on future health insurance coverage, as well as other types of insurances (like life insurance). 

Couple’s therapy isn’t actually covered

Most insurance companies do not cover relationship and couple’s therapy. I know many companies say they cover this type of counseling, but there is no specific code or diagnosis for relational work. What some insurance companies do accept is one person with an individual diagnosis, and that person can have a partner present in session while we work on the individual mental health issue. Let’s say you decided to this, and you meet all the criteria, having a partner in session may not be considered medically necessary, and your claim may be denied. This is not something I want impacting our work together.

Payment Options & Rates

Payment is due at the time of our session. I accept debit/credit/HSA/FSA cards as payment.

Counseling Rates:

  • Individual Session: 45-50 minutes $120

  • Couples Session: 45-50 minutes $150

Benefits of private pay:

  • A mental health diagnosis is not needed to participate in therapy

  • You and I collaborate the frequency and the focus of the sessions - meaning we won’t be limited by insurance company guidelines

Out-of-network: If you decide you’re okay using insurance benefits, many insurance companies provide out-of-network reimbursements for mental health services. Check with your insurance provider to understand the reimbursement options that are available to you, and I am happy to provide a monthly Superbill as needed. Be advised that most insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis in order to fulfill payments.

I offer a limited number of sliding scale spots. Contact me to learn more about details and availability.

Coaching Rates

My current coaching pay rate varies from $50-$110 per session, depending on the service (please contact me to learn more about the difference in rates). Be advised, insurance companies do not cover coaching services. I will also accept venmo as payment for coaching services.

Cancellation policy

If you are unable to attend your session, please give me at least a 24 hour notice to cancel an appointment. Your credit card on file will be charged the full session fee amount for a late cancellation or no-show. Thank you for your understanding.

Are you ready to take the next step to see if we could be the right fit? Click the link below to schedule a free consultation!