I currently do not accept insurance. Instead I employ a
sliding scale, which ranges from $45 - $90 per fifty-minute hour. I ask that
clients choose a fee based on what they are able to afford (no questions
asked).
There are several reasons why insurance is not a part of my
practice. First, it removes the need of a formal diagnosis in order to see you.
That is, if I accept your insurance then I must give you a diagnosis of a
mental disorder as specified in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders). Otherwise the insurance company will not pay.
Indeed, insurance typically only pays for conditions and
treatments that are “medically necessary,” which means that something is
significantly impairing your ability to function. By filing with an insurance
company, this becomes part of your permanent medical record, which then may
negatively affect your insurance coverage down the road. For a good article on
why this may be problematic, please see the following:
http://mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=1333
There is also the issue of confidentiality. When you
use insurance, your medical records become open to scrutiny and evaluation by
any number of people in the company that issues your insurance. Many insurance
companies require mental health providers to disclose personal information,
including the diagnosis and, in some cases, may even direct the course of
treatment.
As a private pay client, you can be assured that your
medical information will be confidential, and that there will be no treatment
interference by a third party which is more interested in its bottom line than
your well-being.
