By Ofer Zur, Ph.D.
This web page is part of an Online Course on Fees In Therapy
Following are sample sections in the Office Policies that pertain to fee issues:
Health Insurance & confidentiality of records:
Disclosure of confidential information may be required by your health insurance carrier or HMO/PPO/MCO/EAP in order to process the claims. If you instruct Dr. Zur, only the minimum necessary information will be communicated to the carrier. Dr. Zur has no control or knowledge over what insurance companies do with the information he submits or who has access to this information. You must be aware that submitting a mental health invoice for reimbursement carries a certain amount of risk to confidentiality, privacy or to future capacity to obtain health or life insurance or even a job. The risk stems from the fact that mental health information is likely to be entered into big insurance companies’ computers and is likely to be reported to the National Medical Data Bank. Accessibility to companies’ computers or to the National Medical Data Bank database is always in question as computers are inherently vulnerable to break in’s and unauthorized access. Medical data has been also reported to be legally accessed by enforcement and other agencies, which also puts you in a vulnerable position.
Payments & Insurance Reimbursement:
Clients are expected to pay the standard fee of $XXX.00 per 45 minute, $XXX.00 per hour session at the end of each session or at the end of the month unless other arrangements have been made. Telephone conversations, site visits, report writing and reading, consultation with other professionals, release of information, reading records, longer sessions, travel time, etc. will be charged at the same rate, unless indicated and agreed upon otherwise. Please notify Dr. Zur if any problems arise during the course of therapy regarding your ability to make timely payments. Clients who carry insurance should remember that professional services are rendered and charged to the clients and not to the insurance companies. Unless agreed upon differently, Dr. XXXX will provide you with a copy of your receipt on a monthly basis, which you can then submit to your insurance company for reimbursement if you so choose. As was indicated in the section Health Insurance & confidentiality of records, you must be aware that submitting a mental health invoice for reimbursement carries a certain amount of risk. Not all issues/conditions/problems, which are dealt with in psychotherapy, are reimbursed by insurance companies. It is your responsibility to verify the specifics of your coverage. If your account is overdue (unpaid) and there is no written agreement on a payment plan, Dr. Zur can use legal or other means (courts, collection agencies, etc.) to obtain payment.
Cancellation
Since the scheduling of an appointment involves the reservation of time specifically for you, a minimum of 72 hours (3 days) notice is required for re-scheduling or canceling an appointment. Unless we reach a different agreement, the full fee will be charged for sessions missed without such notification. Most insurance companies do not reimburse for missed sessions.
To obtain the full Office Policies and other important clinical forms, see our Essential Clinical Forms.