Fees, etc.
Initial Intake Session(s) $185 – There may be one or two
Psychotherapy Session $160 – Individual or Couple
For all of the above charges if payment is made at the time of appointment, a $15 reduction is offered.
Court Appearance $400 (for the first hour) portal to portal, and the fee will increase by $200 for each half hour after the first hour.
A therapy “hour” is 38 – 52 minutes, to accommodate record keeping and necessary communication and correspondence.
The above fees are subject to periodic adjustments.
Financial Matters
I accept health insurance and am an in-network provider for most insurance companies, HMOs, and PPOs serving the Iron Range, including Medicare, MinnesotaCare, and Medical Assistance. If necessary, financial arrangements are available. I welcome and encourage frank discussion of services and fees prior to treatment to avoid misunderstandings.
Like other health care, a price cannot be put on well-being. However, financial obligations for treatment rendered to you and your family are your responsibility. The following questions and answers may represent many of your own questions. If you have others, please feel free to ask me.
Q – Will my health insurance cover psychological services?
A – While “mental health” services are mandated under Minnesota law for group policies, there are many factors that will determine to what extent your health insurance will cover such services. Your policy may include one or more of the following:
- a deductible clause
- co-pay provisions
- a dollar limit per year
- restrictions on types of service provided
- restrictions on type of provider
- mental health coverage is optional for individually purchased policies and you may not have chosen such coverage
Q – How do I determine if I am covered?
A – While our office will assist you in form and claim preparation, and may be able to mail your claim directly to your insurance company, the wide variety of policies and provisions makes it impossible for us to determine specific coverage for you.
We therefore encourage you to determine your coverage by:
- carefully reading your contract
- contacting your personnel or union office
- contacting your insurer directly, using the 800 number usually found on the back of your insurance card
Q – Are all services covered by health insurance?
A – Insurance companies have declined reimbursement when there is not a diagnosed problem or medical necessity. Marriage counseling, “personal growth,” court-ordered treatment, and child custody mediation are some of the diagnoses not considered reimbursable by most insurance carriers.
Q – Will Medical Assistance/MNCare programs cover services?
A – Yes, with a valid Minnesota Health Care Program card. You must present your membership card prior to your first visit and notify this office of any coverage changes. If you have been asked to choose a managed care company, present that membership card at the initial appointment also. If you have other health care coverage along with M.A./MNCare, you must provide our office with the billing information on that health coverage as well. You must also provide copies of payment or rejection notices from the other insurance company for us to submit to M.A./MNCare, as they will not pay their portion without this. Failure to do so will result in your liability for any balance.
Q – Are services tax deductible?
A – Mental health services are generally treated as any other health care deduction on Federal and State forms. Therefore, it may be to your advantage to pay any outstanding balance prior to December 31st of each year.
Q – What types of financial arrangement are available?
A – We will allow you to make monthly payments on your bill, but we require regular payments to avoid an escalating balance. Any overpayment will be refunded to you promptly. For your convenience, we offer a variety of options:
- You may take advantage of a $15 reduction in fee by paying in full at the time of your visit.
- We will provide you by mail with a complete standard claim form for insurance or tax purposes.
- We require monthly payments when billed.
- There will be a 1.5% interest charge (18% APR) on any balance 90 days outstanding.
Q – What is a therapy hour?
A – This is generally a 38 – 52 minute hour which also allows for necessary contact with other health care providers or clients and record keeping.
Q – Will I be billed for phone calls?
A – As a general policy, no. If this policy appears to be being taken advantage of, however, individual charges may be made. Such a change would come only after discussion with you.
Q – Will I be billed for missed appointments?
A – The time reserved for you is held for you unless you cancel it. I frequently have clients who call to be seen on an emergency basis but cannot be scheduled in your place unless you cancel the appointment. If you miss a session or fail to cancel without adequate notice, the time cannot be used. Your attendance at your session is important and we hope you will be present, but if you cannot make the appointment, we ask that you cancel it ahead of time. If you fail to come to your appointment and do not cancel it, you will be charged according to the following guidelines:
- There will be no charge for cancelled sessions if they are cancelled 24 hours prior to the session.
- A charge of 50% of our normal fee will be made if you cancel up to 4 hours prior to your session.
- You will be responsible for the full charge for a session missed and not cancelled as described above.
- It is important to note that since insurance companies do not pay for missed sessions, the full charge of the missed appointment will be your responsibility.
We fully realize the importance of health insurance to your care and well-being. We urge you to become familiar with your health insurance contract and utilize its benefits. Please notify us immediately if there is a change in your health coverage. It is your responsibility to notify us of any change in coverage and effective dates of changes, address changes, number changes, etc.
If you fail to comply with your agreement for payment of services received, and we have to use other legal means of obtaining payment, certain identifying information will have to be turned over to those agents. If your bill goes unpaid for an extended period of time without good faith attempts at payment, we may turn your account over to a collection agency or go to small claims court. If we do this, we would have to inform them of your name and the dates of service. This information might then become less confidential and has the potential of being accessed by others.