Insurance: 6 Things That You Should Know
Insurance companies require at least one Diagnosis.
All clients seek therapy for various different reasons such as; depression, anxiety, a life transition, work related stress, or a traumatic experience. It is important to remember that not all clients meet the criteria for a diagnosis. Insurance companies require at least one diagnosis for billing. Another fact to keep in mind is when it is time to renew your insurance plan; your premium could rise as a result of your diagnosis, possibly costing you more.
It compromises confidentiality & your personal health information
It is important for a therapist and client to be aware that insurance companies are allowed to request notes and treatment plans at any time to determine if treatment is “medically necessary.” If a client chooses to use their insurance to pay for therapy, understand that this is out of the therapist's hands, if the insurance company requests client information. It might feel invasive to the client to have their person information shared with the insurance company.
Treatment length is out of your control
Some insurance companies approve only a certain number of therapy sessions that they will pay for. The therapist or yourself will call the insurance company and check for eligibility. Of course, the insurance company does not know you individually and will not understand your individual needs. One thing I like for clients to keep in mind, treatment length varies from situation to situation, and client to client.
Understanding Out-of-Network Benefits
Since there are many insurance companies, I am not in-network with all of them. Some insurance plans offer “out-of-network” benefits. This means - that even though I am not “in-network” with your insurance company, your “insurance plan” might have out-of-network benefits. This means that you may be able to receive full or partial reimbursement for our work together, while still allowing for privacy and control. This really depends on your specific insurance plan, so I recommend calling directly to find out about your out-of-network provider benefits.
Insurance Deductibles
Insurance companies have many different plans. Some plans have deductibles, which can be a large amount, small amount, or some plans do not have a deductible at all. A deductible means, that the client has to meet a certain before the insurance company begins to cover services. For example, if you have a $2,000 deductible, your must meet that amount before the insurance begins to cover your services. You can simply find this information by calling your insurance company and if you have a deducible for in and out of network services.
Using insurance for Therapy is Better than NO THERAPY at all.
If paying out of pocket is financially out of the question, then using insurance is better than pushing off seeking therapy. I choose to accept insurance because it is important to remain accessible to clients. I believe in the value of my work and training and believe that clients that choose to use insurance or do not have the option for self-pay should still be able to seek therapy from me.