Do you accept my insurance?
Unfortunately, I currently do not accept any health insurance plans. This means that I am considered an out of network provider for all carriers.
So how do I pay you?
This means you will pay me up front for my session fee and then I will provide you with the needed forms to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
How much will I be reimbursed?
This is between you and your insurance provider. I always encourage people to contact their provider directly and explain that they would like to be reimbursed to see an out of network provider. You need to clarify with them exactly what they will reimburse you. Some insurance companies will say “Yes, we will reimburse you,” only to find out that that amount they will cover is so small that it will not be financially feasible to you. Here are some questions to ask them:
· Do you reimburse the full amount?
· If not, do you reimburse a set amount or a percentage of the fee?
· What cpt codes do you cover? (i.e., individual therapy, family therapy, assessment)
· How many sessions will you cover?
· Do I have an out of network deductible?
Why should I see you when I could just use my insurance to see another provider?
Great question. This really comes down to your own clinical needs, financial flexibility, and insurance company’s willingness to work with you. I always encourage people to find out what providers are available in the Bend area that do accept their insurance before contacting me. Oftentimes, people contact me after having done their own research on in-network providers.
Some reasons people choose to work with me out-of-network include:
· My training and expertise in trauma, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Attacks, Health Anxiety, or other significant anxiety symptoms/disorders
· My background and training in pediatric/adolescent psychology
· They may have been referred directly to me by a General Practitioner, Pediatrician, Psychiatrist, or other Psychologist
· They found me listed on iocdf.org as a trained therapist in Exposure and Response Prevention for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
· In Network Providers are not accepting patients or have very long waitlists
· Or maybe we just chatted on the phone and you think I would be a good fit for you!
How do I get my insurance company to agree to provide reimbursement?
All insurance companies are different, but what I have learned is the best answer to that is persistence, persistence, persistence! Ask to talk to supervisors, explain the situation, explain why you feel I am a good fit and why the in-network providers are not currently the right fit for you.
Your best chance of receiving reimbursement is if you or your child needs to see me for a very specific referral related to anxiety or posttraumatic stress. In this case you can make the case to your insurance company that you would like to see a provider that is trained in evidence-based practices to treat your diagnosis. You can contact me on the phone to discuss which evidence-based practices I would be using. Therefore, you are making the case that in the long run, seeing me could be more cost effective as we will hopefully decrease your symptoms much more effectively and require less overall sessions to do so.
What if I want to see you but I can’t afford your fee?
I do offer sliding scale spots on a very limited basis. Please feel free to contact me directly to discuss availability for these spots. I reserve these spots for individuals seeking specialized treatment of anxiety.