Insurance vs. Self-pay

As we begin our healing journey, navigating the cost of therapy can be a challenging piece of the puzzle. Many questions arise about the best options to help minimize the expense. Options can include paying fully out-of-pocket (self-pay) without the use of insurance at all; paying out-of-pocket and submitting a Super Bill to your insurance for partial or full reimbursement; or seeking a therapist in-network with your insurance where coverage varies from no out-of-pocket expense to a small co-pay or applying payment towards a deductible. Below are some things to consider when it comes to Mental Health Therapy and the payment process.

• Insurance has the right to request all therapeutic documentation and records from each of your sessions, impacting your confidentiality and privacy.

• Super Bills submitted to insurance lose the self-pay privacy and default to the same requirements of insurance (diagnosis, access to documentation and records).

• Not everyone who seeks therapy has a mental health condition, instead they may be focused on personal growth and exploration, insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis to pay for services.

• Self-pay without insurance submission does not require a diagnosis. and does not require the sharing of any documentation or records.

• Self-pay allows for a holistic approach to wellness with less focus on diagnosis and the medical model approach.