Rates & Insurance
Rates
$200 per 50-minute session. Sliding scale fee considered
Insurance
Depending on your current health insurance provider or employee benefit plan, it is possible for services to be covered in full or in part. Please contact your provider to verify how your plan compensates you for psychotherapy services.
I’d recommend asking these questions to your insurance provider to help determine your benefits:
- Does my plan include out-of-network providers?
- Does my health insurance plan include mental health benefits?
- Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it and have I met it yet?
- Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?
- Do I need written approval from my primary care physician in order for services to be covered?
Why I Don’t Directly Accept Insurance
In my early years as a professional I did bill insurance. Let me be frank: I found that I was spending a great deal of (unpaid) time writing reports and on the phone with insurers trying hard to justify why I should actually get paid for my services; it really is an adversarial relationship! Often, the insurance companies arbitrarily deemed services my clients found truly beneficial to be “not medically necessary” and accordingly rejected payment; many clients could not afford to make up the difference. To this day I have thousand of dollars I had to write off from those early days. I’d rather spend my time providing outstanding services to my clients – and be able to make a living while at it!
Further, please note that use of insurance may limit some of your rights to complete confidentiality. For example, your insurer will require to know your diagnosis in order to process payment of benefits. Many of my clients (especially those seeking help with addiction issues) do not wish to have this information disclosed. It is something that can become part of one’s permanent medical record which may have effects on future considerations (e.g. life insurance). Accordingly, many clients opt to avoid using their insurance.
Reduced Fee
Reduced fee/sliding scale services are available on a limited basis – please feel free to discuss your situation with me and I’m open to working something out that is manageable for you!
Payment
I accept cash, check and all major credit cards as forms of payment.
Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend a session, please make sure you cancel at least 48 hours beforehand. Otherwise, you will be charged for the full rate of the session.
Scheduling Appointments
Please contact my administrative staff at 858-546-1100 or susie.lee@practicalrecovery.com. Your call will be answered live between 8:30 AM and 6 PM (messages will be promptly returned if left outside of those hours). If you wish to connect with me directly before scheduling an appointment, please call the same number and immediately press “226.”
Any Other Questions
Please contact me for any additional questions you may have. I look forward to hearing from you!