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FEES for services are negotiable when paid to me directly out of pocket (though I have a set asking fee), or they
are set by your insurance program.
When insurance pays for services it is necessary for us to establish a medical record
for you that includes a brief personal history, psychosocial assessment, treatment
plan and DSM diagnosis. Insurance programs sometimes allow for an initial 90 minute
assessment session, after which each session is 50 minutes. I bill your insurance
company directly for services, using your diagnosis and personal identifying information. You
may be responsible for a co-payment and, in some cases, a co-insurance fee, which
is paid at the time services are delivered. Some programs require that an annual
deductible be met before coverage begins.
In the private pay, non-insurance situation there is a bare minimum of record
keeping, usually just my office notes, and there is no contact with any third parties. In this setting it is also
possible to arrange meetings of two hours and longer, which many individuals and
couples prefer, due to the depth of treatment that is possible in each session and
due to the accelerated pace of treatment. A number of individuals and couples meet with me regularly
in two hour sessions. Some treatment issues can be cleared up in a single session,
though a session duration of at least two hours is usually required.
Fees for all private pay services are payable by cash or personal check at the
end of the session. I do not process credit cards.
I am a member of the following insurance panels as a preferred provider:
Aetna
Anthem Blue Cross
Coventry/MHNet
HealthLink
HealthLink-GEHA (Government Employees Health Association)
Magellan Health Services
Value Options
I am also eligible as an out of network provider for any insurance programs that do
not offer open enrollment, such as Cigna and United Healthcare/United Behavioral
Health.
I am on numerous EAP (Employee Assistance Program) panels, including those offered
by Anthem Blue Cross, Magellan, and Value Options.
Your Employee Assistance Program is a separate benefit from your medical/health/mental health benefit, and it is often administered by a separate agency, such as
People Resources, Deer Oaks EAP, Ulliance, and Network Advantage (NAS). Your EAP provides you with a limited number of sessions
(usually 8-10) at no charge to you. Sometimes the benefit is renewable, but usually it is only available once per calendar year. The intention
of the EAP is to address issues that can be resolved in a short period of time in
brief, solution-focused therapy, or else to identify issues that cannot be resolved
briefly and refer you to your managed care outpatient mental health benefit. EAP’s
typically require minimal paperwork and record keeping.
All mental health services are protected by the strictest confidence. I cannot
acknowledge to any third party that you are receiving my services unless you have signed
a written and dated release of information.
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THINK RESPONSIBLY!
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