Report writing, Add-ons, Extra administrative (including data analysis, interpretation, report writing, and feedback session)
$250 per hour
Insurance
Our Insurance Guidelines
We are a private pay group practice. Clients are expected to pay for each appointment up front either “out-of-pocket” or in the hopes of receiving partial “out-of-network” reimbursement. We will provide you with a detailed receipt (i.e., superbill) each month, which can be submitted to your insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement. Out-of-network benefits vary by insurance plan and provider, and reimbursement may be dependent on diagnosis. Please check with your insurance company to see what reimbursement they offer for out-of-network services. Typically, insurance companies will cover 40-80% of the fee, after the deductible is met. Any information they need to know about Relational Psych should be available on this form.
Why we are not on insurance panels:
There are many reasons why we are not on insurance panels. As insurance companies are not mental health care professionals, we prefer that they are not involved in the treatment planning, record review, or evaluation of services. These are some factors we have considered and encourage you to consider as well:
Insurance companies require a diagnosis to be sent in for reimbursement, even for the first session. Your diagnosis and treatment become a part of your permanent medical record. If you are seeking couples therapy, one partner is required to be the designated “patient” and this partner is required to have a diagnosis that necessitates treatment for the couple.
It is common practice for insurance companies to ask for additional clinical information after the therapy has begun. This may include personal information, treatment plans, or session notes.
Insurance companies have the power to restrict treatment by limiting frequency of sessions or requiring a specific treatment method.
Insurance companies determine the provider’s reimbursement rate and rates are inconsistent between companies.
Communicating with insurance companies requires additional time and negotiation which can be costly for sole providers and oftentimes require a separate billing team.
The benefits of not billing insurance:
You are not required to have a diagnosis. If you are given a diagnosis, this remains confidential.
We will not be required to share any personal or treatment information with an insurance company, thus, you may enjoy a greater degree of privacy.
An insurance company will not dictate your treatment. Instead, we will use our professional training to recommend a treatment plan that we will collaborate on together. Additionally, we will not be restricted by frequency of sessions or length of treatment.
The fee will not be predetermined by another party, allowing us to discuss your experience of this investment freely. This also gives us the flexibility to reserve a portion of our caseload for reduced rates, especially for current clients who undergo financial hardship.
Our time is not spent communicating with insurance companies, working extraneously to get reimbursed, or negotiating our professional value and compensation. Since you pay weekly, you avoid accruing a bill that you cannot afford to pay. Additionally, our therapeutic relationship is protected from possible tension from exchanging services without compensation.
Should you use your insurance for therapy?
We believe this is an important question that is not usually given the weight it deserves. Mental health coverage is included in most insurance plans and can be used to pay for a portion of the therapy (there is typically a copay that the patient is still responsible for). However, the factors indicated above are important for each individual client to consider before seeking reimbursement. For some, the substantial benefit of reimbursement outweighs the loss of independence of insurance involvement. Some clients would prefer the independence from insurance but require the reimbursement in order to access the needed treatment. Some clients prefer to submit claims to help with their yearly deductible and then desist. For others, keeping the work as private as possible is the most important factor. Whatever your circumstance, it is a decision worth thinking through. Please feel free to bring this up if you would like to talk about it in more detail.
One more note: It is common for mental health claims to be initially denied. This can be discouraging; however, you do have the right to appeal this denial. Insurance companies may count on consumers to give up once a claim is denied, so it is to your benefit to appeal a claim that should or could be paid.
Will your health insurance cover testing?
Most health insurance policies do cover testing if they consider testing to be "medically indicated" or “medically necessary.” This means that the problems you have that require testing are either the result of a medical issue or there is a psychiatric diagnostic issue that cannot be resolved just by interviewing the person. Most insurance companies do not cover testing for educational purposes (as opposed to medical or psychiatric purposes), but occasionally, a policy does provide coverage. An educational purpose includes testing for learning disabilities. If there is a medical or psychiatric issue which the testing will address, the insurance company may provide full or partial coverage. These are the steps you should follow to find out whether your insurance company will help pay for the testing:
Call your insurance company and ask whether you are covered for the CPT codes listed on this form. When you call, be sure to specify the reason for the testing (e.g., ADHD, learning disability, diagnostic, therapeutic) and be sure to ask explicitly whether testing is covered for that reason. Make sure you understand what is and is not covered and why that is the case for your particular plan.
If you are told that testing is covered, ask if you will need “precertification” or “preauthorization” (i.e., advance approval) and clarify if there is "out-of-network" coverage. Ask what preauthorization means for an out-of-network provider who will not be doing any insurance authorization on your behalf. Ask them to be very specific and possibly send you the documentation you need to complete prior to the evaluation while you are on the phone with them. Any information they need to know about Relational Psych should be available on this form.
Request specific instructions on how to submit the out-of-network claim, documenting each step of the way on who you spoke with and what was said. Keep in mind that you may receive incorrect information over the telephone and the final determination is made only when the claim is submitted.
Reduced Fee
We reserve a portion of our caseloads for clients with reduced rates (such as students or current clients undergoing financial hardship). Please inquire regarding availability with an idea of what fee would be feasible for you.
We believe that psychological services are an investment in yourself and oftentimes investments come at great cost- financial and emotional. Please share with us any concerns you may have about the fee as this may be an ongoing discussion throughout the work.
Good Faith Estimate
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.
Policies
Cancellation and Lateness
Any appointment you make with us is a time we set aside for you. If you are unable to make your appointment, please cancel at least 48 hours in advance. If you cancel less than 48 hours from your appointment time or miss your session, you will be charged for the cancelled or missed session. Additionally, if you have not arrived within the first 15 minutes of our scheduled time, the session may be cancelled and billed as a no-show. Please keep in mind that insurance companies do not reimburse for cancelled or missed sessions so you will be responsible for the cost of the cancelled or missed session. Also, please note that sessions that begin late will generally end at their scheduled times.
Messages and Accessibility
When you call our number, (206) 589-1018, you will have the option to leave a voicemail and you will receive a call back within 24 hours. It is never our intent not to call back, so if you haven't heard back it is most likely that we haven't received your message.
Crisis Accessibility
If you are in crisis, please seek help immediately by contacting the 24/7 Crisis Line 1-866-427-4747 or 9-1-1.
Payment
Payment for therapy is due at the beginning of each session unless other arrangements are made. A credit card is required to schedule online sessions. Payment is accepted through the form of cash, check, or through your online portal.
Confidentiality
All information revealed by you during your professional time is confidential and will not be shared with anyone without your prior written permission. There are, however, certain circumstances under which we are required by law to release information without your prior consent. These are: imminent danger to yourself or other(s), child or vulnerable adult abuse, or duly issued subpoena.
Complaints
If you have a concern or complaint about your treatment, please talk with us about it. We will take your criticism seriously and respond with care and respect. If you believe that we’ve been unwilling to listen and respond, or that we have behaved unethically, you can contact:
Health Systems Quality Assurance Complaint Intake PO Box 47857 Olympia, WA 98504-7857 Phone: 360-236-4700 E-mail: HSQAComplaintIntake@doh.wa.gov
