Billing and Payment

In return for my spending 45 minutes in a therapy session with you, you will be expected to pay for this service. If you have insurance, the insurance company may pay for part of this fee. We will be happy to file your insurance for you, but you are responsible for assuring that the insurance company pays their part of your bill. I am paid different rates by different insurance companies. If you have questions about any charges or fees, please feel free to discuss these with me or my office manager. The parts of my fee not covered by insurance (the copay and/or coinsurance and deductible) are your responsibility, and I will expect you to pay them at the time of the session. You are required to know how much your part of the fee will be, and to be sure that your sessions are authorized ahead of time by the insurance company or the managed care company administering the benefits for the insurance company. This is usually done by calling the number for mental health services on your insurance card. My office manager may be able to assist you in this process if you have questions or problems. Please remember that when a managed care company authorizes sessions, the paperwork contains a disclaimer that says that even though they are authorizing the service, they cannot guarantee payment. This is the responsibility of you and your insurance company.

Your therapy appointment time is reserved only for you. This is different from some other doctor's offices, where more than one person may be scheduled at the same time. If you run late to an appointment, it will still end at the scheduled time, because someone has a scheduled appointment right after yours. IF YOU MISS AN APPOINTMENT FOR ANY REASON, YOU WILL BE CHARGED A PENALTY FEE IF YOU DO NOT CALL AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR APPOINTMENT TO CANCEL THE APPOINTMENT. THIS FEE IS THE SAME FEE THAT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD HAVE PAID ME IF YOU HAD COME TO THE SESSION PLUS YOUR COPAYMENT. YOUR INSURANCE WILL NOT PAY THIS FEE. IF YOU NEED TO CANCEL AN APPOINTMENT, CALL THE OFFICE AND SPEAK WITH THE OFFICE MANAGER, OR LEAVE A VOICE MAIL WITH MY ANSWERING SERVICE AT ANY TIME 24 HOURS A DAY. THE ANSWERING SERICE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A CANCELLATION LOG NUMBER WHICH WILL IN TURN BE PROVIDED TO ME. E-MAIL OR WRITTEN CANCELLATION NOTICES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. I have highlighted this information because it is the part of therapy that my clients most frequently do not understand. To avoid conflict between us or getting upset later, please remember this part especially.

If you have an emergency between sessions and need me to call you to address concerns that cannot wait until the next session, I will charge you for this time at my regular rates. Please be aware that your insurance will not pay for this time.

If you ask me to write a letter for you to anyone about your therapy, there will be a charge for this service. This fee is also not covered by insurance. The fee may vary depending upon the time I must spend writing the letter.

If you direct me to speak with anyone about your therapy, this time will be charged to you at my regular rates. Again, insurance will not pay for this service. This category includes time spent with attorneys, teachers, or other professionals on your behalf. It also includes preparation and record review time plus travel time if I must leave my office. The only exception to these charges is when your primary care doctor or a psychiatrist is prescribing medication associated with your treatment.

I accept cash, checks, and money orders as payment for your therapy. Credit cards are not accepted. In the event that you have a check returned to me for non-payment of funds, you will be expected to pay for the associated costs I have. These charges will include a returned check charge and any bank charges I incur. I may also ask you to pay by cash or money order in the future.