Do I take insurance?
I get this question a lot, and the answer is one of those yes/no situations. First, the yes part: I am a preferred provider with Uniform Medical Plan, and I also can be reimbursed up to 80% by Group Health Options. (But it has to be Options!) In both cases, the client is responsible for the part of the fee not covered by insurance. In addition, if your employer offers an EAP as part of your benefit package, you may be able to see me for a few sessions under that benefit.*
If you are covered by another insurer, there may still be a chance that your sessions with me are partially covered. It depends on your specific plan. I’ve worked with a few clients who paid me out of pocket, then filed claims with their insurer and received partial reimbursement. If this is possible in your case, then you would need to do it this way: 1) pay me the fee; 2) then file your claim. I’ve found that if I file the claim as an out-of-network provider, reimbursement doesn’t happen.
The “no” part: couples counseling is not covered by any insurer I know of. This means that even if you have insurance with Uniform, I can’t bill them for couples sessions. If you’re an individual client of mine and we decide to invite your partner in for a session or two, then I would only be able to bill that to insurance if the work we’re doing still focuses on your individual issue. If it’s a true couple problem, then for those few sessions I would ask you to pay out of pocket. To not do so would be, alas, insurance fraud. (I personally think they should cover couples counseling, since I believe it’s helpful and I also think that a person’s relationship has a lot to do with their emotional health and life functioning. But…I don’t make the insurance rules.)
Finally, a recommendation: consider not using your insurance and paying out of pocket. There are several advantages to this:
1) All of your information will be kept confidential. No third-party onlookers will know that you’ve even seen a counselor.
2) I won’t have to diagnose you with a mental disorder. We’ll be able to let your chart reflect who you are, pure and simple. (And even if you have one of the ‘mental disorders,’ like ADD or anxiety, it won’t be a matter of record.) Plus, we’ll have absolute freedom to structure your sessions exactly how we want.
3) In my many years of experience with clients—and as a client myself—I’ve learned that out-of-pocket clients are more invested in their work, tend to get better results, and enjoy the satisfaction of putting their hard-earned money to good use.
It’s up to you. But if those three points sound convincing to you, think about paying out of pocket. And it helps to put it in perspective: therapy is expensive, yes. But how much do you spend per month on your cell phone? Or your cable? Maybe therapy would be money very well spent!
*This sentence was edited from the original content.
