Affording a Therapist

Affording a Therapist can be a difficult and confusing task. There are many therapists who take insurance, but also a lot who do not.

So how do we afford a therapist who does not accept insurance or is "out of network" with your insurance?

Out of Network means a therapist is not contracted with an insurance company to be reimbursed an agreed upon rate. This means you can't go to that Therapist, give them your insurance card, and pay a copay rate.

Many insurances do have Out of Network benefits though. This means, a Therapist can give you a document called a "Superbill" with all of the information needed to submit to your insurance. You pay the cost out of pocket (or with an HSA/FSA) then submit the document to your insurance and hope that they reimburse you part or all of the therapist's fee.

You can also find a therapist with something called a "sliding scale" which means they have a pre-determined number of slots available that they charge a lower cost for individuals who are unable to afford their premium rate.

How do I figure out what my Out of Network benefits are?

You can call your insurance provider and ask.

Or you can log into your insurance provider portal and find the information under the "Find a Provider" tab. You can select "out of network" and see what your deductible is and what rate they will reimburse for you to seek mental/behavioral health services that are out of network.

What are benefits of seeing an Out of Network provider?

1. Not accepting insurance means Providers are not required to diagnose for you to receive services.

2. There is not a limit to the number of sessions that will be covered.

3. More options for providers

Let's put it all together

Affording a therapist can be as easy as finding someone who takes your insurance to as challenging as paying out of pocket with no reimbursement options.

You have options for easing the cost of therapy by utilizing Out of Network benefits, HSA or FSA's, or seeking a therapist with a sliding scale who can lower their price based on your ability to cover services.

Seeing a therapist who does not take insurance has benefits such as not requiring a diagnosis, no limit to number of available sessions, and more options for providers.

Given this information, there is a wide range of options available for affording a therapist and for finding the right person for you. Don't settle for just anyone. You're allowed to shop around and use the free consultations that many of us offer to decide if we are the right person for you or if you are the right person for us. We can even refer you to others who may be a better fit.

If you're interested in chatting more, you can book a free 15-minute consultation on my Booking or Events pages or use my "contact us" page.