Fees, Insurance, and Options
Financial Information: My fee is $175 per 55 -60 minute session and $250 per 75-90 session. Note: Insurance does not cover 75-90 minute sessions. In limited circumstances, I may be able to offer a discounted rate, depending on whether I have reduced rate appointments available.
Insurance Information: I am in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, AETNA and North Carolina State Health plan. If one of these is your insurer, and you and I agree that you have a diagnosable mental health condition, your sessions should be coverable by your insurance. I will submit a claim for you. However, your payment amount will depend on your coverage, deductible, copay, and/or coinsurance. If you have a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) you may need to pay for your sessions until your deductible is met. In that case I will still file claims on your behalf, even though payment will be your responsibility.
If you are insured by another carrier, you will pay the rate listed above. I can provide you with a special type of statement called a superbill. Depending on your coverage and the reason for your therapy, you may be able to submit the superbill and receive some reimbursement from your insurer.
If you have out-of -network benefits but dealing with submitting your own insurance claims is not your jam, I partner with Mentaya, a company that will submit and manage your claims for a small fee. Learn more about Mentaya here!
Choosing Whether to Use Insurance for Therapy
If you have insurance that covers therapy and if you have a mental health condition covered by insurance, it is your absolute right to use it. However, some feel more secure paying out of pocket for their therapy. Here are. some reasons why:
- They do not want mental health diagnoses on their medical record. Certain diagnoses may impact rates or eligibility for life or disability insurance. Examples include depression, anxiety disorders, bi-polar disorder, substance use disorder, and eating disorders.
- They want to protect their privacy. When you use insurance, you agree to allow them to know your diagnosis, treatment plan, and to see progress notes if they request them.
- They want to have access to more options Certain types of therapy, such as longer sessions or couples therapy is not typically covered by insurance.
- They want to work with a particular therapist. In therapy, like in shoes, fit matters more than cost. Goodness of fit is as important as type of therapy in predicting a good outcome.
- It is possible that insurers may retroactively deny claims they have paid. If that happens, the responsibility for the bill belongs to the client. Some prefer to avoid that uncertainty, though the risk of this happening is rather low.
