How to Start
1. Consultation and Intake Assessment
All services are provided via telehealth. Please call for a free 30 minute phone consultation. Potential clients are required to schedule an initial assessment/intake, which is scheduled on the telephone. An initial assessment/intake includes gathering information on your background and current symptoms. An intake assessment is about 3 sessions and will help identify the best treatment targets and interventions. Once completed, a summary and recommendations will be provided. (See Services).
2. Payment
Please call to inquire about affordable fees and sliding scale. Only private pay is accepted at this time. All payments are made with a credit card, debit card, or HSA/FSA card via a HIPAA compliant software, Simple Practice. Appointment cancellation is required 48hr before your appointment. Otherwise, you will be charged the full session fee. (See Services)
3. Insurance
Does your insurance plan offer out-of-network (OON) benefits? If yes, this means you can submit a claim to your insurance company for services rendered. Based on the claim, the insurance company will reimburse you for a portion of the services. Please be aware of your deductible. At the end of each month or as needed, a "superbill" is provided to clients to submit with their claim for reimbursement. A superbill provides proof of services (see below). Please note that my full fee will be collected at the time of service, whether you are submitting a claim for OON reimbursement or private pay.
Ahead of scheduling, if you want to consult with your insurance company regarding your out-of-network costs and reimbursement rate, you will need to provide the following codes.
- Place of Service - 02 (telehealth) and 11 (in-person/office)
- Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation - #90791; 60 minutes
- Psychotherapy Session - #90834; 50 minutes
If OON benefits are accepted, please read below.
~ Does your plan require a referral from your primary care physician or pediatrician for mental health services.
~ Does your plan have a deductible and what is the amount required to meet your deductible.
~ Does your plan limit the amount of sessions per calendar year.
~ A superbill includes two important codes, diagnosis code and service code.
- Diagnosis code - is the psychological diagnosis given to each client and this code is required by insurance companies. This code is unknown until after an intake assessment is completed.
- Service code - is the type of therapeutic service received.
4. "No Surprises Act"
Effective January 1, 2022, a ruling went into effect called the "No Surprises Act" which requires practitioners to provide a "Good Faith Estimate" about out-of-network care. The Good Faith Estimate works to show the cost of items and services that are reasonably expected for your health care needs for an item or service, a diagnosis, and a reason for therapy. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate was created. The Good Faith Estimate does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during treatment. You could be charged more if complications or special circumstances occur and will be provided a new "Good Faith Estimate" should this occur. If this happens, federal law allows you to dispute (appeal) the bill if you and your therapist have not previously talked about the change and you have not been given an updated good faith estimate.You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.
~ Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
~ You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
~ You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
~ If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
~ For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
