Insurance Reimbursement
POSSIBLE OUT OF NETWORK BENEFITS WORKING WITH THE PRICE COUNSELING CENTER
If you cannot afford our services, please consider contacting your insurance company (see instructions below) to learn how much of one of our counselor’s may be covered through your out-of-network provider benefits. All our therapists are fully licensed and therefore their services are often “reimbursable” to insurance companies.
Our counselors are not “in-network” providers for any insurance companies and do not bill insurance companies directly; however, you may have an “out-of-network” benefit which allows you to see any fully licensed therapist, pay directly, and then be partially reimbursed by your insurance provider. Our office manager can provide you with invoice / receipt so that you have documentation to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Many insurance companies will cover 50-100% of this fee as an “out-of-network” provider.
The best way to determine what portion of our fee may (or may not) be reimbursed by your insurance company is to contact them directly by calling the customer service phone number on the back of your insurance card (there is often a separate phone number for mental health or “behavioral health” services information). When speaking with your insurance company, you will want to ask them the following questions:
- What are my “out-of-network” outpatient mental health benefits? How much of each therapy session will your insurance provider reimburse (this is typically a percentage)?
- Must I meet a deductible (the amount of money you have to pay before your insurance company will start to reimburse you) before my benefits will begin paying for out of network providers? Have you already paid any of this deductible?
- Are there any limitations to services (e.g., only a certain amount of money allowed for mental health reimbursements, a limited number of sessions, reimbursement only for certain types of diagnoses, etc.)?
- Do you need any kind of special referral (i.e., from a primary care doctor or your University Counseling Center) before I can be reimbursed?
- How long will it take to get reimbursed after I mail my receipt?
- Where do I need to mail or email my receipt?
Many individuals who have health insurance elect not to use it for coverage of mental health services, and instead pay for therapy as an “out of pocket” expense, or use their flexible or health savings account. Most often, this is due to concerns about the privacy of their health information, and the potential release of this information to health insurance companies and their affiliated entities.
**Most insurance providers WILL NOT reimburse for court ordered evaluations or any following recommended treatment.**