Insurance and Other Essential Information

I accept insurance as a courtesy to my clients. People work hard for health insurance benefits and I believe it is important as a helping professional to accept insurance. Also, people have a right to basic health care, including counseling, and insurance helps to provide that. The down side is that many insurance policies today have high deductibles, increasing copays and time-consuming paperwork.

You probably notice a lot more reminders in your doctor's office regarding late fees and scrutiny of coverage. That is because as insurance deductibles and copays increase, health care professionals become more prone to subsidizing insurance at great cost. Just like many of my colleagues who continue to accept insurance, I have been forced to tighten policies. You will agree to research the state of your deductible and copays as they relate to counseling, and to accept responsibility for any uncovered claims resulting from your failure to do so.

Many insurance companies now require pre-certifications, which you are responsible to obtain prior to our first session. You must call the customer service phone number on your insurance ID card prior to seeking services, in order to avoid unexpected charges.

Fees are competitively priced or you may use your insurance. I am a preferred provider for most major insurance organizations including:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Neighborhood Health
United Healthcare
United Behavioral Health
Pacific Care
Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare
Coventry Healthcare
Aetna
Medicare

Missed sessions and late cancellation policy
My care is free but I charge for my time. Missed appointments and late cancellations are an avoidable waste of time. I charge a fee of $50.00 for any missed session which was not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance and $75.00 for no-shows. I understand that you may have other priorities on the day of our appointment. However, barring life threatening emergencies, if you are unable to provide the 24 hours advance notice, you will be charged.