Policies
Policies and fees subject to amendment. Please see the current version presented to you in session.
Here are the more commonly asked about items:
Insurance: I am in-network with the following insurance companies:
- Aetna
- Beacon Health Commercial (Value Options Commercial)
- CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans (and most BCBS plans)
- Cigna
- Johns Hopkins Employee Health Programs (EHP)
- Johns Hopkins U.S. Family Health Plan (USFHP — TRICARE Prime provider)
Many health insurance plans have out-of-network (OON) benefits and will accept my billing statement when you submit paperwork for reimbursement. My office will sometimes submit to out-of-network insurance plans as a courtesy to clients. Paying for therapy with your flexible spending account may also be a good option as you get to pay for therapy with pre-tax dollars.
Fee Packages: I sometimes offer special service packages for a set fee, such as my facilitation of the PREPARE/ENRICH couples assessment counseling system for $600 upfront for five facilitation sessions plus appropriate provided materials.
Payment at Time of Service: Full payment is required at the time of service unless other arrangements have been made in writing.
Attendance: Appointments can be cancelled with 24 hours notice. Appointments missed without 24 hours notice are considered scheduled appointments, and full fee may be collected. A pattern of missed and late appointments may result in termination and referral to another clinician. If I need to cancel an appointment because of emergency or illness, you will be notified as soon as possible. The session will be rescheduled at the next convenient time for both parties.
Session Length & Punctuality: Please call when running late. Arrival more than 15 minutes late may result in cancellation of the appointment. Sessions are generally 40-45 minutes long. If you are late, the therapy session must be shortened in order to maintain the agreed upon schedule. In most cases it’s not possible to extend the length of the session to compensate for late arrival.
Compliance: Compliance with medical prescriptions, such as reliably taking psychiatric medications, is required as a condition of treatment. Compliance with mutually agreed upon contracts, such as safety contracts, is required.
Termination: Please bring up the topic of terminating services a few sessions in advance of the actual end. I also like to avoid terminations by email or voicemail. This allows us time to wrap-up loose ends, and to plan the next possible steps in your growth beyond our therapy together. Sometimes it also just lets me know that you are okay. If there’s an issue with our course of therapy, discussing it before terminating may allow an unexpected new direction or change to occur that would have not been possible.
