Insurances accepted at this time include: CIGNA, United Healthcare, Johns Hopkins Employee Health Plan (EHP), Carefirst or BCBS. I have recently applied to be a Medicare provider, hopefully within 2024.
I also participate in a few employee assistance programs for presenting problems that are appropriate to the shorter, 45-minute sessions.
Clients are responsible to know their insurance benefits and communicate this detail to me. Very often you can save "outpatient mental health" benefits into a PDF from your insurance portal. Clients also must obtain authorizations.
Your policy statement sent when you inquire about services will list up-to-date, usual and customary fees. Don't let this confuse you, please.
If I accept your insurance plan, however, I accept the insurance company’s rate that’s contracted with my practice, which will be lower than these quoted, private-pay rates.
It's imperative that you fill out the PDF forms I send completely. I've done this work for nearly 19 years, thus if I ask the question, I need you to fill out the blank as legibly as possible. I also need a wet signature. E-signatures aren't accepted.
CoPays (Member Portion of Insurance) is due one day before sessions
Much like as you stop at the front desk at a medical provider office, the practice has limited time and asks that you pay 24 hours prior to your scheduled session, unless you have been granted a special consideration. It truly helps with bookkeeping. This practice accepts Zelle and PayPal. With PayPal, avoid selecting professional services as fees are removed; choose another option, please. This practice indeed receives a 1099 for tax purposes, but this avoids us having to contact you for incomplete payment.
CANCELLATION POLICY is 48 hours in advance of your appointment OR FRIDAY in advance of a Monday appointment. You will not receive a reminder. So take care writing this down to remind yourself of this obligation.
Should you miss or cancel scheduled appointments within this 48-hour window, it cannot be billed to your insurance company and you will be responsible for full-fee charges (not your copay, but full fee).
Read Carefully to Avoid Misunderstandings
True emergencies mean a death in immediate family, documented ER or hospital visit, or serious illness. Sports practice, games, work, sitter snafus are not exempt. Immediate family = spouse or domestic partner, a child, or a parent.
Add therapist to your contacts because she'll contact you if you are not signed into the telehealth platform. If you have a couples or family session, and one has a schedule conflict, the other person can do the session and save you paying a late-cancel fee. Again, thank you for heeding the policies spelled out in your Informed Consent.
What Insurance Does NOT Cover
Your insurance/EAP will not cover missed sessions. You'll have to pay ($164 for one hour or $95 for an EAP session, more if billed to your credit card). See above for detail.
Out of session time necessary for proper case coordination with physicians, school counselors, other treating providers, attorneys and anyone else is billed at my hourly rate, pro-rated. Should a client require inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization or substance abuse treatment, there will most always be outside consult necessary for discharge or treatment planning. Effort is made to keep time as minimal as possible for financial reasons.
Outside of quarterly or yearly statements, administrative fees may apply for paperwork/invoicing because payment is due at time of service. Therefore, once again, please know your benefits as this knowledge empowers you as the consumer.
