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Paying for Counseling
Benefits of Self Pay and Health Insurance
Mental Health Wellness is an investment of your gift of time, energy and money.
Benefits of Self-Pay
Freedom to Choose
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Self-Pay gives you the freedom to choose therapy on your own terms and needs.
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Self-Pay gives you the freedom to be in control and manage your own mental health treatment.
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Self-Pay gives you the freedom to choose the focus, type of therapy service, the frequency, the length and duration of your sessions.
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Self-Pay gives you guaranteed privacy and confidentiality. You don’t have to worry about the Insurance Auditors reading information you shared with your therapist.
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Self-Pay allows you to keep your mental health records private. You won’t have to worry that your mental health records will be included in the HIE (Health Information Exchange) and which may create problems for you in the future.
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Research shows that self-pay clients have more positive outcomes in therapy than those who receive free treatment.
Benefits of Using Insurance
Accessibility and Affordability
Your insurance company may allow you to pay zero to a lower out-of-pocket costs for therapy.
Your insurance company allows you to see and receive therapy from therapists in their large network.
Disadvantage of Using Insurance
You will receive a mental health diagnosis and it will remain in your health record. Your insurance requires that you received a mental health diagnosis in order for them to pay for your therapy sessions. Therefore you will have a pre existing mental health condition in your insurance health record.
You may have problems if you are applying for a government job that requires a security clearance.
You may have a high deductible which you have to meet first before your insurance will pay for your therapy sessions.
Your insurance may deny the claim of therapy services you received if they deem it's not a "medical necessity".
Your insurance company controls and manages your mental health treatment not you which means your therapist is required to use the methods and criteria that are covered by your insurance plan.
You do not have the freedom to use the frequency, the length and duration of your sessions. Your insurance company usually pays for 45 minutes therapy sessions. If you need longer sessions, it must be deem a "medical necessity".
Some services such as Pre-martial Counseling, Christian Counseling, Bible Solution Focused Counseling, and Mental Wellness are not covered by insurance.
Some issues such martial problems, life stress, personal growth, low self-esteem or needing to talk to a Therapist to sort things out are not covered by insurance.
Good Faith Estimate For Health Items & Services
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 800-985-3059.