Exploring Payment Options & FAQs

At Karascope Counseling, we believe clients and the trained clinicians they choose to work with are the best people to make decisions about their care, not their insurance carrier. Contracting with insurance means they dictate the terms of treatment and make clinical decisions for the client.

Our goal is to provide quality treatment based on your goals, evidence-based clinical practices, and your therapist’s professional assessment and of your particular situation.

• This client-centered, best-practice approach has resulted in Karascope Counseling deciding to opt out of all insurance networks, to not bill insurance or work with them directly in any capacity.

• Our services are paid for by clients directly at the time of their services.

• You can also choose to pay with your HSA/FSA, debit or credit card, whether or not you choose to seek reimbursement from your insurance. Fees paid to us are then processed as Out-of-Network for those who have this benefit. We provide you with monthly Superbills that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement if you'd like, though some clients choose to not involve their insurance. Some clients prefer to use an application, like Reimbursify, to easily submit claims.

Most clients who opt out of using insurance often do so after learning the rate at which services might be covered. Due to the specialized nature of our services, individual clients often find that they get reimbursed 50-90% of the total fee. Reimbursement rates for relationship-based therapy for couples and families are often significantly lower. Please note that your insurance may require that your deductible is met before you will be reimbursed; in which case the fees you pay apply towards your deductible first.

Other clients opt-out of submitting therapy to insurance due to the nature of their current (or possible future) profession. Insurance panels almost always require documentation of a mental health diagnosis in order for sessions related to that client’s care to be covered. This could be unnecessary depending on your reason for seeking therapy, and may be potentially detrimental for people in some professions. Some employers, due to the nature of their work or other factors, consider mental health diagnoses when considering someone’s eligibility for hire. This is especially true for the military, legal and medical professions, as well as for government or other bonded workers. Having a documented mental health condition may also impact future eligibility for insurance coverage.

The intent in sharing this information is simply to inform your decision-making, not to sway it one way or the other. We understand that everyone’s circumstances are different, and only you can make the best call for you.

Before starting therapy with any provider, we recommend checking with your insurance provider to ask several questions about your coverage. Please be aware when checking your insurance benefits, as benefits are NOT a guarantee of payment. You will have no way of knowing for sure what your coverage or fee reimbursement options will be until you submit a request to the insurance company.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

• Does my insurance plan include mental health benefits?

• Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?

• Do I need written approval from my primary care physician in order for services to be covered?

• Do I have a deductible or “out-of-pocket maximum”? If so, how much are they and have I reached the deductible yet this year

• Does my plan require a diagnosed mental health condition in order to pay for therapy?

• Does my plan limit the number of sessions I can have depending on “proof of medical necessity” for a diagnosed mental health disorder

• Do your benefits cover in-person and telehealth sessions? If yes, are they reimbursed at the same rate? (Note: telehealth is often reimbursed at a lower rate than in-person sessions, while your out of pocket fees will be the same for all meeting formats.)

• Will your benefits cover reimbursement to you for fees that you paid a provider at the time of service? If so, in what amount? Note that some insurance carriers will only pay providers directly, which means that fees you pay directly to a provider will not be reimbursed.

Clients pay for services as they go, using their preferred credit, debit, HSA or FSA card, which is kept on file with the practice. Occasionally, clients request a Super Bill summary of services received, which they then submit to insurance for possible reimbursement of a portion of the fees they’ve paid.

• Standard individual appointments are $150 per 55-minute session, after the initial new client session, which is $225 for an extended 1 hour, 15 minute intake.

• Couple and Family appointments are typically $200 per 75-minute session, after the initial new client session which is $250 for a 1 hour, 45 minute intake.

• Therapists maintain a limited number of spots for reduced-fee clients. Please let us know if you would like more information regarding this option.

Other Fees are charged according to the following schedule.

• Online Relationship Assessment Fee $ 75.00

• Late Cancellation Fee/No-Show fee Full Fee

• Professional Letter or additional documentation $ 50.00 or quote

• Phone Consultation (Not Teletherapy, up to 30 min) $ 50.00

The number of sessions recommended varies, according to the nature of concern being addressed in therapy. You have the right to receive a good faith estimate of the overall cost of services, which we are happy to provide upon completion of a proper assessment of your particular situation. This can often be done in 1-4 sessions, depending on the client. Your therapist will share recommendations and next steps after your initial appointment and evaluation.