Fees and Insurance
Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take insurance?
Yes.  I serve as an out of network provider.

Because I am a licensed psychologist in Maryland and the District of Columbia, my professional services qualify for reimbursement under most insurance plans. My fees are generally considered to be within the acceptable range (UCR) by most insurance companies.

What is an out of network provider?
An out of network provider is a provider who has not contracted with the specific plan or insurance company to provide services for the company.  Like many therapists in the area, I am not an “in-network” provider because, I prefer to make treatment recommendations and decisions independent of your insurance plan’s rules and guidelines.

Does being an out of network provider mean that I will have to pay more?
No.  First, we will determine how much your plan will pay, and then work together to establish a co-payment amount that you can afford.   

How does insurance work?
Your insurance will reimburse a percentage of the cost your therapy sessions.  They will do this according to your plan’s benefits package.  The following factors influence the reimbursement amount: deductible, percentage allotted (usually ranges from 50% to 100%), and number of sessions allowed per calendar year.

I have seen therapists before that require I pay first and then submit my claims to my insurance and wait for my insurance to reimburse me.  Is this your requirement as well?
No.  If you would prefer I will submit your claims to your insurance company and wait for reimbursement.  If you would like to proceed in this way, I will ask that you agree to the following responsibilities:

My responsibilities:
I will photocopy your card, and contact your insurance company to learn your benefit information.  The information I obtain will include: the effective date, deductible amount, percentage paid for each session, number of allowed sessions, and address to mail your claim.   After a certain number of sessions, I will complete a claim form often referred to as a HCFA.  I will ask you to sign in the designated area of each claim form.  If you would like a copy of your claim form, I will be happy to provide it.  I will then mail your claim form to the insurance company.  While I am waiting for processing and reimbursement, I will collect your co-payments on a monthly basis.  If there is a long delay in reimbursement, I will contact the insurance company to investigate the problem.  I will update you on important information.

Your responsibilities:
You are responsible for the deductible amount and the agreed upon co-payment.  If your plan denies the claim for any reason, you will be responsible for the percentage we expected them to pay. 

The deductible is dependent on your policy, and it generally ranges from $500 to $1500 dollars.  Please keep in mind that the deductible renews yearly.  After your insurance processes and pays a claim, they will either send payment directly to me or to you.  If they intend to send payment to you, I ask that you contact your insurance company and make arrangements to have claim payments mailed directly to me.  In order to do this you will need to contact the customer insurance division of your company, there is usually a phone number on the back of your card and formally request that payment be mailed to me.   

Of course, you have the option to submit your own claims.  If this is the case, I will bill you my normal fee and you will submit a claim to your company, each company has their own forms for patients to complete.  These forms can most likely be downloaded from your insurance company’s website.