Psychotherapy Services
Standard Individual Telehealth Sessions: $180
Sliding scale rates may available.
Extended Individual EMDR Telehealth sessions start at $250.
*These sessions are individualized based on the need of the client and is always discussed and agreed upon prior to the start of the session.
Couples Therapy Telehealth sessions 50 minutes: $200
Extended Couples Therapy Telehealth sessions 90 minutes: $275
Clinical Supervision:
Individual: email for rates, sliding scale may be available.
Group and Triadic Sessions-reduced fees based on number of participants and availability in the group/triad.
Training and Curriculum Development:
Please connect with me for a consultation to discuss and determine cost.
Payment:
Jennifer Elkins, LCSW accepts: Cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, & Zelle.
Insurance:
I am currently accepting the following insurance plans through HEADWAY:
Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross California, Blue Shield of California, Carelon Behavioral Health, Cigna, Magellan, Quest Behavioral Health
Self Pay:
Paying out of pocket for therapy rather than using insurance benefits can be advantageous for several reasons. One of the primary complaints regarding insurance is that in order to bill insurance, a therapist must give you a mental health diagnosis after the first session. If your symptoms do not fit the severity of a mental health diagnosis, the therapist must give you a diagnosis regardless. This diagnosis becomes a part of your medical record. Additionally, insurance determines the length of each session (45-50 minutes) and number of sessions provided to a client. This is often 12 sessions. Many times a client may wish to continue therapy beyond this point and in order to do so, a therapist must provide a justification to the insurance company regarding the severity or increased symptoms, which may not necessarily apply to the client’s current situation. Insurance companies may limit how many sessions a client may meet per week, type of session (phone, Telehealth or in person). Therapy such as couples therapy is often not covered by insurance, as one of the two partners would need to have a diagnosis and receive treatment for the diagnosis in the therapy session in order to bill the insurance company. Paying out of pocket helps to provide more flexibility in the treatment you receive.
If you have a PPO insurance plan, you may receive reimbursement for services depending on your out-of-network provider benefits. The client is responsible for payment to the therapist at the time of service and requests reimbursement through the insurance company. *HMO plans do not qualify for out of network benefits. However, if you choose to attempt to utilize out of network benefits, the scenarios described above will still apply (ie. diagnosis, session length, time and frequency). .
A superbill can be provided, which you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Because coverage will vary based on your plan, it is recommended that you contact your insurance provider prior to start of services. The following are questions you may want to consider asking prior to your first appointment:
• Do I have mental/behavioral health insurance benefits?
• What are my out-of-network provider benefits for mental/behavioral health services?
• What is my deductible and has it been met?
• How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
• What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
• Is approval or pre-authorization required?
Good Faith Estimate:
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit
www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call HHS at (800) 368-1019.
Cancellations:
As with many other medical and mental health providers, I reqire a minimum of 24 hour notice to cancel an appointment. Cancellations with less than 24 hour notice or missed appointments will be charged a fee as indicated your Informed Consent form signed prior to start of services. This payment will be billed at the time of the missed session and must be paid (if not automatically) prior to further appointments being scheduled. Please note this fee is not covered by insurance and therefore may be an out of pocket fee.