Insurance
Almost everyone I see gets reimbursed through their insurance with out-of-network benefits. You may want to check with your insurance company to see if you are covered with out-of-network benefits. I will give you a receipt which will include all the necessary information needed by the insurance company. If you are covered, you can file with them and they will reimburse you directly once your deductible has been met. You may want to find out your deductible, what percent of each session is covered, and if there is a limit to the number of sessions allowed.
How to get money back from your insurance company and the difference between In-Network and Out-of Network benefits. Be informed!
At any given time, 95% of all my clients receive money back from their insurance company for individual, couples, family or group therapy. How much you get back is determined by what benefit package you have chosen or what your company has chosen for you. Usually the bigger the company, the better the benefits.
My practice uses only “out-of-network” benefits. I specifically have chosen this over “in-network” because of confidentiality. If you use “in-network” benefits, the therapist is required to give the insurance company detailed information regarding why you are there and what you say. Therefore, your information is not confidential. After they receive the information, they may approve a set amount of visits for a certain amount of time. When that time is over, more visits need to be “approved”. To get “approved” for more visits, the therapist has to either verbally talk to an insurance representative or write reports giving details of your confidential information. The insurance company uses this information to decide if they will give more visits. The client has no say as to what personal information is being shared.
With Out-of-Network visits, the insurance company requires a diagnosis only. Any information you share, remains confidential between the therapist and the client.
With in-network, there is a co-pay. With out-of-network you pay up front for the visit and get reimbursed by the company after you meet your deductible. I find that companies today are quick to reimburse. The majority of people I see with a standard company, i.e.: Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, etc., get 50-60% back. Oil and Gas employees get an average of 70 to 80% back. There is not much difference for some between a co-pay or what you end up paying with an out of network policy. Yet, you have confidentiality and other benefits that are routinely not mentioned by the insurance company.
I hope this gives you some helpful information to consider about insurance and reimbursement.
Fees / Session Length
The fee for each session is required at the time of service. Fees will be discussed at time of intake. Hourly sessions last approximately fifty (50) minutes. An hour and a half session would last 75 continual minutes. I can accept cash, checks and credit cards. Checks are preferred.
Cancellations
Your session time is reserved for you. Twenty four (24) hour notice is required for cancellations or you will be charged the full service rate. Cancellations for Monday are required to be made on the previous Friday.
***Please make any appointment changes or cancellations via phone or text message to 713-823-4001. No emails please. ***
If you have a scheduled couples session, and one person cannot make the appointment, the other person is welcome to attend for an individual appointment and avoid being charged for a missed couples session.
Emergency Policy
My practice is by appointment only as opposed to crisis intervention. If you are in a crisis and want to talk to me, please call me and leave a message. I check my voice mail and messages several times a day and can be reached by calling 713-823-4001. In case of an emergency and you can not reach me, you can call 911, United Way Crisis Hotline 713-228-1505, MHMRA Crisis Unit 713-970-7000 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.