Fees / Insurance Information

Fees

I base my fees on an equitable pricing model where I offer sessions at different tiers in order to allow folks to select the rate they are able to afford based on their resources. This is not a model that allows you to get therapy for cheap, but rather a model that offers accessibility to quality care at an accessible range of price points.

Equitable Pricing Tiers

Market Rate $150 (Please note, I offer Telehealth across the state of NY. This market rate may be higher than other therapists in your town, or may be considerably lower than other therapists in large cities). This market rate supports my practice operations, licensing requirements, and continued education. This market rate allows me to provide care at the lower two tiers while ensuring balance to prioritize my own health and wellness so that my high level of services are not compromised.

Market/Pay What You Can ($90-$150) This range includes market/reduced private pay as well as my commitment to accept several insurances which reduces disproportionate marginalization of folks who have access to fewer resources or rely on insurance to pay for services. Insurances accepted- Optum (United Health Care, Oxford, and Oscar), and Aetna. I am also an out of network provider and am able to provide you with a receipt that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. You pay me in full at the time of service and submit to insurance for reimbursement independently.

Reduced Rate ($85 and under) This range is for folks who are unable to access mental health support due to financial and societal barriers.

Insurance

I accept several insurances including Optum- (United Health Care, Oxford, and Oscar) and Aetna. If you have one of these insurances that you would like to use for payment please complete a contact form and I will help you to verify your coverage. I also accept out of network insurance coverage. If you are interested in finding out if your insurance will cover out of network providers I recommend calling your insurance company and asking them to review your mental health coverage. Have them confirm how much they pay for “out of network” providers, and if there is a deductible that needs to be reached first. If so, how much is the deductible? How much is reimbursed to you per session? Is there a limit to number of sessions they will cover? Is prior authorization or referral from primary care doctor needed?

As seen above, using insurance allows you to participate in my equitable pricing model where you are able to access services in the mid-tier range. I am committed to accepting several insurances so that I can offer an equitable range of services to folks who may otherwise be marginalized and unable to access strictly private pay services at or above market rate.

Please note, there are some considerations to be aware of when using your insurance. Insurance companies place restrictions on which services they will pay for, and for how long. This differs from private pay (including reduced rate) where I am able to work with you to make a personalized recommendation for treatment and we are able to more flexible with what makes sense for you.

Insurance requires a diagnosis and medical necessity to pay for services. Sometimes, you may not have a clinical diagnosis but would still like to have some support with the challenges that life throws at you. Private pay (including reduced rate) makes this possible.

For many folks, privacy is a big reason why they don’t want to involve insurance companies. In order to pay for services, insurance companies require some details about your treatment. Once filed through your insurance, this becomes recorded on your permanent medical record. When a mental health diagnosis is filed on your record, it is considered a pre-existing condition. Having a pre-existing condition could significantly increase the costs of health insurance and life insurance.

Your rights

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical 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 bill for medical items and services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or 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 or call (800) 368-1019.

Frequency

The next thing to consider when budgeting for the investment of therapy, is frequency of visits. It’s a good rule of thumb to ensure that you are able to finance weekly sessions for a period of time before spacing sessions out less frequently.

This allows us to attend to your main concerns and goals in order to make the biggest impact over the shortest period of time.

Cancellations/Late arrivals

All cancellations require 24 hours advance notice. If you cancel your appointment with less than 24 hour notice, you will be charged the full fee for your appointment. I understand that emergencies and illnesses do occur. In the event of an emergency or illness, you will not be charged for your missed appointment.

If you join your session late we will meet for the remaining session time and you will be charged your full session fee.

Payment is due in full at time of service. I accept cash, major credit cards, and HSA/FSA cards.