The insurance industry has made it extremely difficult for psychiatry providers to work within their systems. As a result of this many of us in mental health have had to move to an alternative approach to payment for services. In my practice, I collect the full fee from the patient directly. I provide an itemized receipt to my patients for submission to their insurance company. Many insurance companies reimburse the policy holder 50-90% of the cost of the appointment. Sometimes in as little as 2 weeks.
Although inconvenient for the policy holder, this practice creates an environment where it is possible to see an established patient for 20-25 minutes and new patients 50-60 minutes. The increased face to face time allows patients to take an active approach to their treatment plan and ultimately improves results. Additionally, by limiting the number of patients I schedule an hour, I am able to stick to your appointment time. Your time is as valuable as mine. I rarely run even 5 minutes late for an appointment unless there is a rare emergency.
It is very important that you check directly with your insurance carrier to determine the amount of the appointment fee you will be reimbursed.