Fees : Psychotherapy Payment Arrangements
Feminist Therapy Connection therapists charge $180 for each hour session. Appointment scheduling, cancellation policy, questions about fees and reimbursement for therapy by mental health insurance plans, are important structural aspects of your psychotherapy relationship and typically discussed during your initial contact with your therapist. We also reserve hours, on a limited basis, in our psychotherapy practices for new patients who may need an adjusted fee. If you cannot afford our standard fee, please be sure to discuss your financial needs with your therapist during the initial contact.
Client confidentiality and choice are central to the therapeutic relationship. When you choose to work with a psychotherapist under a private pay agreement, you may contact any therapist you wish without pre-authorization for your therapy sessions. The number of sessions is open-ended rather than pre-determined and possibly limited by an insurance plan coverage benefit. Psychiatric diagnoses and clinical notes are maintained in confidence by your therapist and are not submitted to your insurance company to be entered into a database of pre-existing psychiatric or psychological treatment. Billing and all private information are confidentially maintained by your therapist and are never faxed or shared with anyone without your written consent and authorization.
We are no longer direct providers on insurance panels, nor authorized to accept Medicare and Medi-Cal patients. For this reason, we are not able to accept copayment, assignment or reimbursement from mental health plans. However, we are happy to help you obtain reimbursement by providing diagnosis and procedure code documentation (a “superbill”) after out-of-network psychotherapy services are authorized, so that you can submit your claim for reimbursement from your insurance provider.
Payment
We accept cash or check for payment.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation policies are determined in our initial session when setting the time and interval between sessions. If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment and are unable to reschedule per our agreement, you may be charged for the full rate of the session.
Any Other Questions
Please contact us with any additional questions you may have.
Insurance
See “What about using my mental health insurance?”
Depending on your current health insurance provider or employee benefit plan, it may be possible for your psychotherapy services to be covered in full or in part. Please contact your insurance provider directly to verify how your plan compensates you for psychotherapy services. Please see below for more information about common questions our callers have about the range of payment options that arise when seeking psychotherapy services.
Private Pay – Fee setting, cancellation policies, appointment time and the interval between appointments are determined by each psychotherapist with the patient. Psychiatric diagnoses and clinical notes are maintained in confidence by your therapist and are not submitted to your insurance company to be entered into a database, or to anyone without your written consent, permission and authorization.
Health Insurance – The client pays the monthly premium as an individual or through an employee group, where the employer negotiates terms and rates with the insurance company. This includes your annual deductible, copay and the percentage of reimbursement you will receive based on customary rates for your diagnosis and type of service provided. In most cases, you can choose any therapist you wish without pre-authorization. To receive your reimbursement, psychiatric diagnoses and clinical information are submitted to your insurance company and entered into a database, which then tracks your record of pre-existing psychiatric treatment. There may be restrictions regarding covered diagnoses and the number of sessions allowed per calendar year as well as lifetime reimbursement limits or caps.
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) – Similar to insurance coverage above. However, your insurance company has negotiated rates with specific providers. You must choose a psychotherapist from their pre-authorized list of therapists, and pay a pre-determined co-payment. The therapist will also receive a negotiated portion of the fee from the insurance company. Some PPO’s will allow you to see a therapist “out of network” with a higher deductible and copayment for which you are responsible.
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) – An organization that provides a wide range of comprehensive, integrated health care services to patient members who then chose care from a network of providers within the organization. There is no ”out of network” option as all services are provided within the organization.
Medicare/ Medi-cal (“Medi-Medi”) – These plans require that you seek mental health services through the county in which you reside. You must contact county mental health services and will be referred to a local clinic or you will be provided with referrals to psychotherapists in your geographic area authorized to accept this payment plan for psychotherapy services.
Feminist Therapy Connection therapists know that clients seeking psychotherapy for personal and relationship concerns may also be facing economic challenges. As an important service to our community, we offer psychotherapy consultation and referral to assist our callers, respecting each person’s unique needs and economic circumstances. We also reserve, on a limited basis, hours in our psychotherapy practices for new patients needing an adjusted fee. In the event that one of us is unable to help you, we are committed to making every effort to help you with your psychotherapy needs and goals, and to connect you with a feminist therapist from our well-developed network of San Francisco Bay Area community resources whenever possible.