FEES AND PAYMENT PROCESS
What do all these services provided cost?
I am not contracted with insurance panels. I am self-pay and out of network (OON) only.
For those who use OON insurance: I utilize Thrizer (https://www.thrizer.com/) to help clients determine OON benefits and support with claims processing! Thrizer can screen your insurance to determine your benefits. I can also provide Superbills if you want to process claims yourself.
In addition to processing through Thrizer, I accept check, HSA/FSA, and credit cards.
My rate for standard therapy sessions (typically 1-hour) are $200.
Individual intake and extended sessions are $300 (typically 1.5-hours).
Skills training rates can be found on the skills training webpage.
Why do I not take insurance? I do not take insurance for a few reasons.
I often get approved for Out of Network benefits (OON) and often am approved for those with insurance plans that do not have OON due to my specialty of DBT, a rarity in Central Massachusetts. 2. Many also use health savings plans, have a PPO, or high deductible. Accepted methods of payments are cash, check, and credit card including health saving accounts.
Many providers aren't getting paid by in-network insurance companies. I don't have time to chase claims. I found it takes away from my duties as a clinician. It can take between 2-3 hours unpaid time to resubmit and chase money owed for sessions provided.
I provide more than insurances pay for and navigating various insurance companies takes away from providing treatment.
I am a certified DBT therapist, a rarity in the field. For details, see: https://dbt-lbc.org/. I have a commitment to do DBT to fidelity, not modify as I feel like or prefer. You deserve the best and you get my best. Insurance companies don't respect my expertise and my skills are charged the same as a general practitioner and a therapist just out of school.
I am well trained and very experienced. I deserve to be compensated at a competitive rate and despite this expectation, my rates are lower than many therapists' self-pay rates who don't have specialties or my level of experience. I am not experienced in medical billing nor want to be.
You get high quality service by me, a highly trained specialist. Of course, I completely understand if this is not an option and will be glad to refer you the best I can.
What do your fees cover? As you read, you'll realize that I should charge more!
Intake setup - adding clients to my electronic health record, administering intake packet, reading intakes and all documents before intake appointments, writing intakes, developing a plan for treatment, and of course the intake itself! There's more but you get my drift!
For weekly sessions - this includes therapy, writing progress notes, editing any plans, and doing specialized assessment forms.
For DBT coaching - being available outside of session, returning calls, talking on the phone to DBT clients (who are often distressed) during personal time, documenting calls.
Case management is generally free upon reason, This includes phone calls, completing paperwork, faxing/emailing, and connecting with other providers.
Please note, lengthy phone consultations or discussions with family members may be subject to fee at rate of typical fee per hour. Most of the time a session is scheduled and if not, consent is granted during the phone call.
DBT consultation team with other DBT therapists is free to clients.
Specialized consultation outside formal team meeting to ensure quality care is most often free to clients and often a fee paid to the consultant for their time.
Attending a meeting like an IEP or interview of state services: Session rate for the meeting plus travel time. Completing assessments for school, depending on extent of paperwork, might be free to the client or charged a session rate.
Any formal court proceedings: Client’s rate/hour of paperwork preparation. $350/hour for any interviews, proceedings, and may or may not include travel.
Accepted forms of payment, cash, check, credit card, and health savings card.
Do you have questions about fees? Contact me to discuss further.