Fees, Payment & Insurance Support
Telehealth Therapy in Washington, Oregon, and California
Fees:
The fee for an intake session is $225 and all subsequent therapy sessions are $175. Intakes are 75 minutes long. All other sessions are 60 minutes.
Understanding your Coverage:
Out-of-network psychotherapy coverage varies by insurance carrier and policy, so it’s important to know what yours is. Understanding your coverage can be confusing, so I’ve provided a quick primer.
Prior to scheduling your first therapy session, please call the customer service phone number on the back of your insurance card. Ask the representative what your “out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits” are. It’s important to use that exact language. Otherwise, you may get incorrect information.
The representative will tell you your deductible dollar amount and reimbursement percentage. It’s important to understand that your final reimbursement is based on what your insurance company deems “usual, customary and reasonable”, also known as UCR.
The UCR is the amount paid for a medical or mental health service in a particular geographic area based on what providers in the area usually charge for the same or similar service.
For example, your insurance company may reimburse 80% of $175 per therapy session, which is what it considers UCR in your area. Please ask the representative what the UCR is for outpatient psychotherapy in Ventura, California.
Also, ask if the insurance company requires pre-authorization for out-of-network outpatient psychotherapy. Most plans don’t require it, but it’s good to know ahead of time if it does. If it does, please let me know and I’ll take care of the required paperwork.
Can you explain a “good faith estimate?”
Under the No Surprises Act of 2022, health care providers, including mental health care providers, are required to give clients who don’t have insurance or who decide to not use their insurance, an upfront estimate of their bill for services. This is known as a Good Faith Estimate.
If you don’t receive a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one business day before receiving services, please ask me for one.
If you receive a bill that’s at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill. Please save a copy or a picture of your estimate.
For questions or more information, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-877-696-6775.
Payment:
I accept Visa, MasterCard and Discovery credit cards and debit cards through my HIPAA-compliant practice management software, TheraNest. Unlike other therapists in California, Oregon, and Washington, I don’t add a service charge.
I ask all of my clients to provide their credit card information before the first session. I leave the card on file and charge it after each session.
Insurance Support:
I’m currently an in-network provider for Kaiser (Southern California), Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Aetna. I am out-of-network with all other insurance companies.
Out-of-network simply means not being a contracted provider for an insurance company. As an out-of-network provider, clients can still be reimbursed for my services – often between 50% to 80%, after meeting their deductible.
Prior to scheduling your first therapy session, please provide me with your insurance information. (During our work together, I may need to call your insurance company to verify benefits or see if your benefits have changed.)
The information I need includes the following:
∙ Name of your insurance company
∙ Date of birth
∙ Member identification number
∙ Customer service phone number
I submit claims to your insurance company after each session. The reimbursement checks will go directly to you.
To schedule an appointment, call or text me at (805) 267-0807 or email me at megan@humannaturecounseling.com.