Rates & Payment

Self-Pay Rates (for common services):

  • Psychological Assessment/ Diagnostic Evaluation: $225 (Insurance CPT code 90791)

  • 45-60 minute session: $180
    (Insurance CPT codes 90837, 90834)

  • 30-minute session: $95
    (Insurance CPT code 90832)

    This is not a standard therapy session in my practice.  These brief sessions are utilized with clients who are working on maintaining treatment gains, have more work to do between visits than during sessions, or are nearing the end of their therapy visits.

  • 90-minute session: $225

    This is also not a standard therapy session in my practice, and will only be utilized when there is a clear clinical need, or in the event that a particular therapeutic modality indicates extended sessions in service of the therapeutic work.  A 90-minute psychotherapy session is not recognized by insurance.

  • Family Therapy / Couples Therapy: $225
    (Insurance CPT code 90847)

    Family therapy/Couples therapy is not always covered by insurance. Coverage is plan-dependent.  In most cases, family/ couples therapy is covered by insurance only when used to support treatment of a family member/ partner with a qualifying mental health diagnosis.

Sliding-scale rates are only available to current clients on a time-limited basis when unforeseen circumstances creating significant financial limitations occur. This is for the purpose of maintaining continuity of care and avoiding treatment disruption.

Self-Pay fees are due on the date services are rendered.

Accepted forms of payment:

  • Cash

  • Check

  • FSA/ HSA

  • Credit Card*

    *I require a current credit card on file to secure services in order to process any late cancellation/ no-show fees (outlined in the Consent for Treatment).

    Credit card information will be securely stored in either the HIPAA compliant client portal or in a HIPAA compliant payment APP.

    It is your choice where this information is stored.  If you find it more convenient and efficient to use the client portal for everything, you may enter your payment card info there.

    If you do not want to be burdened with another reason to have to log in & out of the portal, you will receive a link via text (from “Ivy Labs”) to enter your payment card info in the payment APP.

 

  • After you contact me and we have decided to work together, you will receive an email link to my Client Portal. This is where you will create your client profile and establish your username & password, and enter your credit card info (if you choose to enter it here vs the App).

    The Client Portal is also where you will complete necessary and required paperwork: Consent for Treatment, Telehealth Consent, HIPAA, and Client Intake.

    A first appointment cannot occur without this paperwork completed, signed and initialed where appropriate, Please complete all sections, as any missing information may create a delay in receiving services.

    This must be done at least 24 hours in advance of your 1st scheduled visit. If not complete, that session will be removed from the calendar, and you will receive a friendly reminder to do so. Once completed, the session may be rescheduled.

  • You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.

    Under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act, health care providers and health care facilities are required to inform individuals who are not enrolled in a plan or coverage or a Federal health care program, or not seeking to file a claim with their plan or coverage both orally and in writing of their ability, upon request or at the time of scheduling health care items or services, to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” of expected charges. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate was created.

    (*At this time, the PHSA and GFE do not apply to clients who are using insurance benefits.)

    Under the law (the federal No Surprises Act, in effect January 1st, 2022), health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

    • You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

    • Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

    • If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

    • Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

    Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate within the following timeframes:

    • If the service is scheduled at least 3 business days before the appointment date, no later than one business day after that date of scheduling;

    • If the service is scheduled at least 10 business days before the appointment date, no later than three business days after the date of scheduling;

    • If the uninsured or self-pay patient requests a Good Faith Estimate (without scheduling the service), no later than three business days after the date of the request. A new GFE must be provided, within the specified timeframes, if the patient reschedules the requested item or service.

    Note: A Good Faith Estimate is for your awareness only. It does not imply a commitment to future therapy or treatment.

    The Good Faith Estimate is only an estimate regarding items and services reasonably expected to be furnished at the time the GFE is issued to the uninsured or self-pay individual. The actual items, services or charges may differ from the GFE.

    The No Surprises Act is intended to protect consumers from “surprise billing”, an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care-like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider. This is different from “balance billing”, which may be permitted and occurs when out-of-network providers charge the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the provider’s full fee for a service. This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.

    For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 985-3059

  • You may contact your provider or facility to let them know the billed charges are higher than the Good Faith Estimate. You can ask them to update the bill to match the Good Faith Estimate, ask to negotiate the bill or ask if there is financial assistance available.

    You may also start a dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If you choose to use the dispute resolution process, you must start the dispute process within 120 calendar days (about 4 months) of the date on the original bill.

    There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the agency reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the price on the GFE. If the agency disagrees with you and agrees with the health care provider or facility, you will have to pay the higher amount.

    Initiation of the dispute-resolution process will not adversely affect the quality of health care services furnished to an uninsured or self-pay individual by a provider or facility.

    If you believe you have been wrongly billed, you may contact:

    The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at (800) 985-3059 or visit https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises for more information about your rights under federal law.

CONTACT KRISTEN

Insurance

As your therapist at Attuned Connections Therapy, I intend to make the use of insurance as comprehensible and pain-free as possible!

I am in-network with the following insurance carriers:

  • BCBSIL (PPO & Blue Choice)

  • Aetna

  • ComPsych

Note: If I am not in-network with your insurance carrier, please be aware that it is usually more cost-effective to choose a provider who accepts your insurance.  I do not offer services on an “out of network” basis with insurance companies not listed above.

A word about medical necessity…

It is often presumed that if a person wants therapy and has insurance coverage, therapy visits are covered by insurance.  This is not a guarantee.  In order for your therapy visits to be covered by insurance, you MUST have a true “qualifying” diagnosis. These are determined by each insurance company/ plan.  As therapy continues, medical necessity may be determined by numerous additional factors.

If it is determined during the assessment that you do not have a qualifying mental health diagnosis, you may receive therapy services, but will be billed in accordance with my current rates.  Also, assessment visits without qualifying diagnoses are usually paid by insurance with diagnostic codes that can be utilized on a very limited basis for this purpose.

Benefits and Risks of Using Insurance:

While out-of-pocket costs are typically lower when using insurance, submitting claims/ invoices to insurance also comes with potential risks to: confidentiality, future capacity to obtain employment, military affiliation, health, disability, or life insurance.

Your insurance does have certain rights to your medical records that may limit your confidentiality.  They may also limit the number of sessions or require pre-approval of sessions. Please mention any concerns you may have about potential risks associated with using your insurance.

Insurance Terminology:

As the world of insurance is complex, nuanced, has many variables, and can be outright confusing…it’s helpful to know some of the basics.

Deductible: The amount a client pays out of pocket before an insurance provider will pay/ before coverage kicks in.

Co-Payment:  A client’s financial responsibility for each visit – typically a flat fee ranging from $15-$50.

Co-Insurance: A percentage/% of the contracted (discounted) rate agreed upon for a service between the insurance plan and the provider.  

*Please be aware that I cannot legally waive any client financial responsibility pertaining to your insurance plan, including co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles as this is considered insurance fraud. 

Process for Using Insurance:

  • All clients are asked to enter their insurance information, as well as images of the front & back of their insurance card, into the client portal.  This is where you will officially create your client profile, and complete all the necessary paperwork required to receive services (consent for treatment, HIPAA, telehealth consent, client intake).

  • It is your responsibility to be aware of the benefits available under your insurance plan. As a courtesy, I will call your insurance company on your behalf to obtain your insurance benefits for mental/ behavioral health office visits.  Additionally, I now routinely inquire about Telehealth benefits.  Though you may prefer office visits, Telehealth visits have been utilized more frequently during the CoVid-19 pandemic.  In addition, it is not unusual for Telehealth benefits to differ from office visits.  I will notify you in advance of your 1st visit of what I learned about the benefits of your plan related to anticipated services.  Note:  There is no way to determine, with absolute certainty, what is covered/ patient cost-share under an insurance plan until claims are processed.  For example, the amount owed toward a deductible may be different than anticipated if the order in which various providers’ claims are filed differs from the order in which services are received/ rendered.

  • All claims at Attuned Connections Therapy are filed electronically, usually same day of service, making the billing process more efficient.  Then, most often within 1-6 weeks, an “Explanation of Benefits”/ EOB (a detailed explanation of what was billed, date of service, what your insurance covered/ did not cover) will arrive.

  • Client co-pays are due on the date of service.  Co-insurance & deductible amounts owed are due upon provider receipt of EOB.

Contact Kristen