Fees and Insurance

Financial Policy

Because psychotherapy can often be a more emotionally laden undertaking than some other healthcare interventions, and the psychologist/client relationship can often be more confidential/private than it is with other healthcare professionals, financial considerations can often be confusing for some clients. In fact, this is a professional relationship that represents my livelihood, and the actualities of life and the skills/expertise that I bring to our therapeutic relationship demand that I be appropriately reimbursed for the services I provide. Further, in order to set realistic treatment goals, it is important to evaluate what resources you have available to pay for your treatment. If you have a health insurance policy, it will usually provide some coverage for behavioral/mental health treatment; however, you (not an insurance company) are responsible for full payment of my fees. In the interest of fairness, no exceptions will be made; however, if you expect or experience undue hardship as a result of these policies, please do not hesitate to approach me with options.

Service fees are based on a $225 “therapy hour” (45-50 minute psychotherapy session; 38-52 minute insurance schedule) rate (with a subsequent increases of $25 every May ($250 in May 2027, $275 in May 2028, etc) in order to bring/maintain my fees within industry standards. Fees for services of longer/shorter duration are a percentage of this rate. These rates apply, but are not limited, to in-office or telehealth psychotherapy sessions, communications of a clinical nature (not administrative, i.e., rescheduling), report writing, records preparation/transmission, collaborative contacts with third parties (i.e., insurance companies, other providers), attending meetings with other professionals, and generating balance due statements and/or other efforts to collect fees/late cancellations/missed appointments.

Payment is expected at the time of service, and prompt payment is your responsibility. Acceptable forms of payment include check, credit card, or cash. My preference is to have credit card information on file with your permission to charge the session fee or co-pay to your credit card automatically. If you prefer to make arrangements to have your bank send an electronic check, I am agreeable with that plan, provided that the payment is received within a week of the session. In order to streamline administrative activities and keep costs in check, “balance due” statements/email/reminders will not be provided. If you do somehow get behind on your payments, such that I have to provide you with a “balance due” statement as a reminder, you will also be billed, at the aforementioned rates, for the amount of time spent creating the statement ($56.25 administrative fee, the 0-15 minute rate). If I do not receive payment for the balance in full by the time of our next appointment, I will not be able to schedule subsequent sessions with you until your balance is current.

Late Cancellation/Missed Appointments: You will be charged the full standard fee ($225) for sessions canceled with less than 24 hours-notice or if you do not show up for an appointment that you did not cancel – regardless of the reason (with the standard exception of inclement weather in the winter). If this seems harsh, please recognize that missing an appointment without sufficient notice for me to fill your spot forces me 1) to forfeit an appointment that another client could have used, which 2) results in double lost revenue from the session, as well as 3) incurs additional administrative expenses in scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling your appointment. Further, it is my preference to enforce the policy “regardless of the reason” because I believe that is a fairer arrangement than trying to determine what constitutes extenuating circumstances in one case and not another. Payment will be made immediately via automatic withdrawal from the credit card information you provide on the signature page. If I do not receive payment for the missed appointment in full by the time of our next appointment, I will not schedule subsequent sessions with you until your balance is current. Please be aware that insurance companies will not reimburse for late-cancelled or missed sessions. 

Failure to pay for services may result in my seeking outside assistance to collect charges due. Balances left unpaid beyond 60 days will be referred to a collection agency or small claims court. If such action is necessary, an additional 33% of the balance will be due to cover associated collection fees. In most collection situations, the only information I will release regarding a client’s treatment is name, nature of services provided, and amount due.

The only exception to the above rate scale is for services of a more legal (less healthcare) nature: if you become involved in legal proceedings that require my participation, you will be expected to pay for my professional time, even if I am called to testify by another party. Because of the added efforts/difficulties associated with legal involvements, I charge a different per-hour rate for preparation and attendance at any legal proceeding. These rates will be negotiated on an as-needed basis.

Insurance Procedures

CIGNA is the only insurance company with whom I am a contracted provider. If you have any questions or concerns about insurance coverage or benefits, contact CIGNA directly for confirmation of coverage. Because your health insurance policy is a contract between you and CIGNA, it is your responsibility to obtain an authorization for service prior to your first visit, and to pay for any balance on your account, not to exceed the contracted rates I have agreed to accept from CIGNA for covered services. In the event that CIGNA does not reimburse for mistakes they or you have made (e.g. claims processing errors or data losses, failure to let me know that your plan has renewed or changed), you will be responsible for full payment of my standard fees.

By signing this contract, you are authorizing me to bill CIGNA to obtain direct payment for any contracted service. I will provide you with a Health Insurance Claim Form (CMS-1500) that you will need to complete, sign, and return so that I can submit claims directly to CIGNA on your behalf. Typically, I submit all insurance claims for the month at the end of the month via an online processing site (Office Ally) with whom I have a Business Associate Agreement (on file), and reimbursements are usually received in the middle of the following month. Your contract with CIGNA requires that I provide them with information relevant to the services that I provide to you in order to secure payment. I am required to provide a clinical diagnosis. Sometimes I am required to provide additional clinical information such as treatment plans or summaries, or copies of your entire Clinical Record. In such situations, I will make every effort to release only the minimum information about you that is necessary for the purpose requested. This information will become part of the insurance company’s files and will probably be stored in a computer. Though all insurance companies claim to keep such information confidential, I have no control over what they do with your information once it is in their hands. In some cases, they may share the information with a national medical information databank. I will provide you with a copy of any report I submit, if you request it.

By signing this Treatment Contract, you agree that I can provide requested information to your carrier.

If you have health insurance through a company other than CIGNA, it will usually provide some coverage for behavioral/mental health treatment. Upon request, I will provide you with a statement of services and fees that you can independently submit to your insurance carrier, but you will be responsible for paying for our sessions at the time the service is rendered at my full rate.