This is to see if we are a good fit. Therapy and medication management are very personal issues and the ability to have a good relationship with your therapist and prescriber is crucial. Usually, a short phone conversation is enough to allow us to go ahead and make an initial appointment. Please feel free to ask any questions that are important to you at this time and at any time during our work together.
Please keep in mind that if at any time you do not feel we are a good fit I do not take it personally and will be happy to try and find you someone who is a better fit for your individual needs. Throughout the process of therapy the primary focus should be what the client finds helpful to them and a good fit with the therapist is the cornerstone.
This needs to be done before coming to your first therapy session. There are many insurance companies out there, and each of them offers a variety of plans. It will be up to you to keep track of what services your particular plan covers and at what rates. Myself and my billing associate are happy to help you navigate this process if at any time you have questions, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the client and their insurers.
I have included a few of the most important questions to ask your insurance carrier at the bottom of this page.
It is crucial that you ask at least these questions before beginning therapy with me.
These may not be all the questions you need to ask for your particular plan, but should get you started on the right path:
Billing through insurance companies can take some time. The way it works is that when you come to see me you will have called ahead to see if you need to give me a copay at the time of the visit. If you do have a copay you will give it to me at the beginning of the visit, if not, you willnot pay anything at the time of the visit.
After our visit I submit a claim to your insurance plan for the amount I charge for your visit. They process it and will pay the amount amount we have contracted and whatever is over what they will pay is written off. You may or may not have another charge at the end- either a deductible or coinsurance, depending on your plan. Many plans have a deductible, which is an out-of-pocket amount you need to pay before the benefit will pay. It is important that you call about this before your first visit. If you have a coinsurance, you will be billed a percentage amount of the billable amount (the part of what I bill that the insurance will cover) for each visit.
Insurance companies can take up to 6 weeks to process a claim. Then they send both the client and myself an "estimation of benefits" form which lists all of the charges, write offs, deductibles, copays, coinsurances, etc, and gives you an idea of what you owe. At that point, I submit this form to my billing service, they look to see what you still owe to me after the copay and the insurance reimbursement. They then will prepare a bill and send it out to you. This whole process from when you come to see me and when you get your final bill can take several months. This is the normal amount of time for this kind of thing, so be patient! If you have questions about what you owe before you get a bill from me, call your insurance company and see what they have to say and if they are not being helpful, then give me a call.
