Fees

The sessions noted are for telehealth and phone sessions. Please consult for sessions 30 minutes or less, chat and email sessions.

Sometimes life just brings you down, but that doesn't mean you are clinically depressed, anxious, or have a mental health diagnosis. Insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis to prove the sessions are "medically necessary".  Life can have rough patches without needing a diagnosis.

Once the insurance is billed for services, the diagnosis becomes part of your permanent health record. This could potentially have a lasting impact on future job positions, insurance quotes, or legal issues.

Most people like to keep their medical history private, however, when insurance is billed there is a loss of privacy. Insurance companies not only require a diagnosis, but they also require what type of treatment will be provided and if it is working or not. Insurance companies want to stop paying on claims as soon as possible, so they carefully review all claims which can mean that your diagnosis and treatment can pass through more than a dozen people before the claim is paid.

Insurance companies decide how many times you are able to visit with a therapist. You are usually given a preset amount of visits a year that they will cover, but they will decide if you can use those visits or not. An insurance company dictates if your treatment is still medically necessary as you progress in treatment. This means that they ultimately have the say when you are feeling better, not you.

Insurance companies will pay a certain amount for sessions after copays/ co-fees have been met, usually after a deductible has been met. Deductibles can be high and are paid out-of-pocket by the client, but a diagnosis is still required for each visit for the insurance company to recognize the fee paid towards the deductible. That means that even though you are paying out-of-pocket for the session, information is still needed by the insurance company for your fee to go towards the deductible.

Therapists that take insurance almost always have full schedules, so this creates a long wait time to make an appointment to see them. That is okay if you have the time to wait a month or so to get in, however, the reasons you were scheduling an appointment may change. Getting into see a therapist when you are ready can make a huge difference in your treatment and outcome.