How Do I Pay for Counseling?

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Counseling isn’t free, and there are good reasons for this (read more about that here). But how will you pay for it? You typically have one of two options.

  1. Pay out of pocket (called self-pay).
  2. Use your health insurance benefits.

If you are one of the approximately 300 million Americans who has health insurance coverage, you will likely want to use that. (Read this post for the basics.) However, there may be some instances when you would not use insurance.

  1. Your condition does not meet medical necessity– if you are coming in for a brief problem (such as a job change or a move) with no real mental health symptoms (such as anxiety or depression), you will not meet the minimum criteria for a medical diagnosis, and therefore insurance will not cover your visits. If this is the case, you can opt to pay out of pocket. Another option, if your company has one, is to consult your Employee Assistance Program, or EAP. The EAP can link you with a counselor for a few sessions at no charge.
  2. You are concerned about confidentiality– When you use your health insurance to cover medical costs, you are agreeing to two things. One, that you will be given a medical diagnosis (see #1) and two, that any information the insurance company deems necessary will be released to them. This can include session notes, treatment plans, and diagnoses. The insurance company is prohibited by law to release this information to your employer; however, some people do worry about this. You can easily opt out of using your health insurance by signing a form with your therapist.
  3. You have a very high deductible plan– If you have a high deductible, you may find the cost of weekly therapy sessions to be cost prohibitive. For example, if you have a 15,000 deductible, it is unlikely that you will meet this unless you have a lot of medical problems, or major surgery. Weekly therapy sessions at the regular fee could run $400-500 per month. In this case, you may choose to opt out of using your insurance and work with one of our therapists that offers an income-based sliding fee scale. While you would not be contributing to your deductible, you would have a lower out of pocket by working on a sliding scale.

If you do not have adequate health insurance, or if your insurance does not offer mental health benefits, self-payment will be the best option for you. Our rates currently start at $125 per session, and we have two therapists who use an income-based sliding fee scale for those who need it. Please call us today at 317-743-8202 and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.