Appointments and Insurance

Scheduling Appointments

Joan’s services are by appointment only, and are scheduled for 30 or 45 minutes, the former for medication sessions only, the latter for psychotherapy.  Because this time is reserved for you, it is necessary to charge the set fee for appointments that are not canceled 24 hours in advance.  The only exception to this rule is when the absence is due to circumstances that you and Joan would both define as an emergency.

Insurance

Clients are personally responsible for the fee for services.  If you choose to seek reimbursement from insurance providers for our sessions, Joan will be happy to complete the necessary forms and assist you in filing your claim.  Receipts for services will be provided to you after each session.

Certainly, insurance coverage can save you some money.  Before you apply for insurance reimbursement, however, there are some issues you should consider:

  • Insurance reimburses medical procedures and requires a medical diagnosis.  Joan must justify your therapy as medically necessary to the insurance company.  Paying privately allows therapy for normal problems of living.
  • Insurance coverage requires the disclosure of private information to the insurance company.  The insurance company decides what happens to the information after that, in accordance with applicable state and federal law.  Paying privately puts you in control of your information; nothing is disclosed to anyone unless you want it disclosed (although the exceptions to confidentiality listed above still apply).
  • Insurance companies may decide the frequency and duration of therapy.  This is understandable since they are paying for the service.  When you pay for the service, you decide.