Individual Therapy Session Fee
The fee for the 55 minute therapy session is $140.00
Payment is due at the time of the session. I accept cash, check and electronic transfer for copayment and coinsurance. I also accept credit cards for full session payments.
Self Pay and Accepted Insurance Plans
I accept self pay clients and I am an in-network Preferred Provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, BCBS PPO Choice and Medicare. Most plans have a per session copay or coinsurance fee while some plans also have an annual deductible (typically $500 to $6,000) that must be met before the insurance company pays for the appointment. I recommend spending time with your insurance plan or call an insurance rep so that you fully understand which fees are your responsibility with Behavioral Health benefits.
Out of Network Provider
I work with clients who have other insurance plans, as well, such as BCBS HMO, since most insurance plans allow the client to use Out Of Network providers. In this case, the client pays for the full session at the time of service. I provide the client with a monthly "Superbill" receipt of the fees that they've paid and this is forwarded to their insurance company. The client is then reimbursed by their insurance company at a certain percentage of the full amount in accordance with the policy of their insurance plan.
Important Insurance Facts That You May Not Know
1. When using insurance for counseling and psychotherapy, a psychiatric diagnosis becomes part of one's medical record. This is because all insurance plans require that treatment is a "medical necessity." "Medical necessity" is indicated by meeting the symptoms of a particular psychiatric diagnosis (General Anxiety Disorder, Mood Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, etc.) If your symptoms fit a diagnosis in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), you are able to use your Behavioral Health benefits. I will discuss the diagnosis with you before forwarding it to your insurance company.
2. The "medical necessity" standard means that some relational issues which might feel very disruptive to a person's emotional life, do not fit the required symptoms of a psychiatric disorder as specified in the DSM-5 and therefore, are not covered by insurance. If that is the case, I will let you know by the end of the initial session and you can decide how to move forward.
3. Although the details of your therapy sessions are confidential, as mentioned in #1, when using insurance I will be required to provide a diagnosis and the dates of service. Some insurance companies will also require your treatment goals and progress information.
4. Individuals with careers that may involve public scrutiny or in-depth vetting, generally choose to self pay for mental health needs in order to protect their personal privacy.
5. Some BCBS PPO insurance plans contract out their Behavioral Health benefits to a separate set of managed care providers. I am not "in network" with these managed care panels (Magellan, APS, PsychHealth). In these cases, the client is able to request my out of network services via "Self Referral" request from BCBS. The client then pays 50% of the session fee and BCBS pays the other half.
Cancellation Policy
Since the appointment hour is reserved for you, only, a 24 hour cancellation policy applies to the hours from 9 am to 4 pm. Because of the demand for the evening hour sessions, a 48 hour cancellation policy applies to the appointment hours of 5 pm through 9 pm. The full session fee is charged if I am not notified of a cancellation within this time frame. Thank you, in advance, for your respect of this policy.