9 reasons to choose a self-pay therapist
Many people do not understand the way health insurance works. We want to provide information so that you will be better equipped to make decisions when it comes to your mental health. Here are 9 reasons to choose a self-pay therapist.
You have a high deductible insurance plan. If your deductible is $6000 you’ll be paying the full fee anyway until you reach that amount.
Your insurance plan reimburses you for out-of-network services. Your therapist can give you an invoice to present to your insurance company for up to 100% reimbursement.
You’re looking for a therapist with a unique skill set. Less than 5% of therapists are Black. If you’re specifically looking for one, they may not accept insurance.
Private pay therapists are allowed to provide therapy specialized for you. Ex. If you need assistance with Social Anxiety we can meet you at a store to help you walk through a conversation. Insurance companies may not allow that.
Therapists are required to give you a Mental Health Diagnosis when billing insurance even when you may not need one. Ex. Grief/ situational stress. These Diagnoses stay on your record and other medical providers have access to this.
When you apply for life insurance they may review your medical records and charge you more money because of your Diagnosis on file.
Let’s just jump in here to say that there is no shame in having a Mental Health Diagnosis. We are just providing you with information that is needed.
7. You found a great match and feel comfortable talking to this therapist but they don’t accept your insurance. You may limit yourself by only looking at therapists who accept your insurance.
8. Insurance companies limit the amount of sessions you can have with a therapist. Some have limits as low as 6 sessions. Many treatments go beyond 10 sessions.
9. Insurance companies may deny your claim for many reasons (because they don’t want to pay) and you have to pay the full fee yourself. This can disrupt your treatment with your therapist.
If you have any questions about these, please ask.
