Fees:

All of my fees are to be paid "Out of Pocket". I send you an invoice over email for your fee at the end of each month. This is payable by credit card or you can mail a check to me if you prefer. I ask that your payment be made by the 15th of the following month. 

Insurance:

Some insurance policies will permit you to file for "Out of Network" benefits. Check with your insurance carrier to inquire about this if you do not know. You can ask what your insurance covers for "out of network, outpatient, behavioral health services. Let me know if you will be submitting bills for "out of network" benefits. I will be glad to give you a "Superbill" with all the information that your insurance company will need.

You may be curious to know why I don't contract with insurance panels or with Medicare? I have participated with insurance carriers in the past. There are a number of reasons why I no longer do this. 

For a behavioral health professional, participating with insurance panels means accepting that my work with you being “managed" by the behavioral health professionals that work for your insurance company. It is their job to be careful about how many benefits their employer pays out to members like you. They pay me a significantly reduced fee and dictate the length and the quality of the services I could provide to you.

 In some cases, insurance panels are still paying their behavioral health provider panel the same fees that they paid in the 1980's when "managed care" first arrived on the scene. In my experience, insurance panels ask me to put their needs for fewer sessions ahead of what you and I determine might be in your best interest. Frequently, they may ask me to terminate my work before a patient has met their goals for treatment. 

Since a third party is involved, it is impossible to guarantee that my work with you is confidential. Confidentiality is important to this work so that my patients feel that they have a safe place to confide your innermost feelings.

I have found that it is not possible for me to run my practice on the reduced fees that insurance companies pay. I strive to provide you with  the best possible services. Towards that end,  I read professional literature, take continuing education classes, seek confidential peer supervision at my own expense, and spend time thinking about and planning for our work together. I cannot both offer you the excellent service that is important to me to provide for you and serve on insurance panels at the same time.

It has been said that the best predictor of a successful treatment in psychotherapy is the "goodness of the fit" between patient and therapist". I am hoping that in choosing a therapist that you take into account that there are many services that we always expect to pay for out of pocket, such as massages, acupuncture, naturopathic physicians, concierge physicians, vitamins, and many others. If you think that  you and I are a "good fit", I hope you will consider that of all the expenses we think of incurring, what could be more important than our mental health? 

Please let me know if there are any questions that you have on the topic of fees and/or insurance. I will be glad to talk these over with you.