Insurance- yay or nay?

When finding a therapist, many people only look within their insurance network. There are many benefits to a therapist in network as it helps narrow the search to a smaller number of clinicians and payment is simple and straightforward. However, waitlists can be long, and scheduling can be tough. Many larger practices also have frequent turnover for their clinicians. For many small or solo practice therapists, like myself, accepting insurance often does not make sense as it can add significant financial and time stress. Fortunately, small practices often have faster availability and fewer hoops to jump through to get an initial appointment. You also know that you’ll always see the same clinician each week! Keep reading and I’ll break down a few ways to pay for therapy to choose the one that’s right for you.

1-    The easiest option is obviously to just pay weekly and leave it at that. If you have the financial means to do this, it is the simplest way to easily and quickly access therapy. Fully private pay means that you can contact any therapist you wish, see the first person that’s a good match and has openings, and continue therapy for as long as YOU feel it’s helpful.

2-    Search your insurance directory for a therapist that’s in network. This is also a simple way to access therapy. Unfortunately, often these therapists have long waitlists. You can also run into issues with insurances changing, or your insurance deciding you no longer meet “medical necessity”. Depending on your insurance, you may also be restricted to only larger practices which can often have high turnover or minimal availability.

3-    And lastly, you can private pay with reimbursement. Often private pay therapists are solo or small practices. This allows them to set their own hours, be flexibile around length of treatment, and give you a more personal experience. Private pay with reimbursement means you pay the therapist out of pocket at each appointment and then they provide you with a “Superbill” to submit to insurance. Insurance then cuts you a check at their reimbursement rate. At Positive Approach Counseling, I use a service called Thrizer (Link to check benefits here) to help streamline the reimbursement process!

So there you have it. The most common ways to find and pay for therapy. Ready to start today? Contact me now and we can set up an intro call or schedule an initial appointment!