Fees and insurance // FAQ

We believe that avoiding contracts with insurance companies gives you several advantages in your mental healthcare.

Stay in control of your healthcare. Decision-making about treatment happens entirely in the therapy room, between you and your therapist. When you see an in-network provider, your insurance company is able to direct what type of therapy you can receive, the number of sessions, and when treatment should end. At GBH, decisions about your care are entirely controlled by you and your therapist.

Safeguard your private information. We never release your confidential information to your insurance company to prove your need for services, or to ask for more sessions. When you see an in-network therapist, your insurance company is able to access notes, treatment details, and sometimes interviews your therapist for evidence that you need continued treatment. Our model gives you the greatest privacy possible, ensuring that your private health information stays between you and your provider.

Keep your costs lower. We don’t have to charge higher fees in order to pay for billing and submitting insurance claims. Submitting claims and managing benefits is costly to any healthcare practice in terms of the personnel, hours, and technology required. It actually costs us money to submit claims online, whereas you can submit claims online at no cost and get reimbursed (our clients often receive 60-80% of session fees back). By staying out of network, we don’t spend your money on insurance billing staff and claim submission.

Know your therapist is focused on your care. We don’t have to set aside clinical hours for insurance documentation and reviews. When you see an in-network therapist, your provider must spend hours on the phone and completing paperwork, to document your need for services and coordinate billing. We spend our time focusing on your treatment plan, researching and providing additional resources, and coordinating with other professionals who might be part of your treatment team. At GBH, your care is our number one priority.

With these benefits in view, we strive to keep our out-of-network therapy costs reasonable.

The No Surprises Act is a piece of federal legislation enacted on January 1, 2022 which entitles uninsured and self-pay clients to receive a Good Faith Estimate of the cost of services with any state-licensed healthcare provider. Learn more.

The fee for each session is collected at the time of service (or prior to the next session). Regular itemized receipts are provided for you to submit claims to your insurance company afterward if you wish. You should receive reimbursement several weeks after submitting your claim and itemized receipt, called a Super Bill.

Clients are welcome to pay via cash, check, or credit card. We do require a credit card be saved on file so that we can process any outstanding fees, in the event we are unable to collect cash or check. Clients may also use a Health Savings Account card (or similar account) to pay for sessions, depending on your insurance plan. 

Existing clients may visit the Client Portal to view account balance or make a payment online. Billing documents (invoices and super bills for insurance) are also permanently available through the Portal for clients to access any time.

Your insurance is likely to reimburse you if you have Out of Network benefits.

To find out whether your insurance plan will reimburse you for the cost of Out-Of-Network services,

1. Call the number on the back of your insurance card for customer service, or Behavioral Health (if there is a specific number for this), and ask:

2. Does my plan cover out-of-network, outpatient mental health services? If yes, ask the following questions as well:

• How much reimbursement will I receive for each session? (Will I receive a % of session fee back?

• Is there a maximum amount insurance will reimburse me?

• Do I have a deductible to meet before I get reimbursement?)

• How do I submit a claim to get reimbursed after a therapy session?

We accept payments from churches or other organizations who refer their members for services at Grace Behavioral Health. Many churches have deacons’ funds or benevolence funds to help congregants receive counseling. Or, another individual can also help pay for your sessions.

1. The first step is for you, the client, to sign a Release of Information (Billing Consent), naming a specific person who we can contact about setting up payment (your church’s pastor or a deacon, for example). The Billing Consent allows us to disclose only
   - that you are a client
   - when you have been seen for sessions
   - fees incurred
   
   The person named in your Billing Consent is the only individual we may ever talk to about payment details for your therapy.

2. Then, we will send that specific person a Third Party Payer Agreement form. They will indicate what form of payment they wish to use, and agree to paying for a duration of time (usually 6 months unless otherwise specified) and/or a specific dollar amount toward your sessions.
   

3. Then, we will schedule your first session!

We’ll walk you through each step of this process! Reach out and we’ll help you get started.

Confidential treatment information, such as diagnosis, treatment topics, or progress, is never disclosed to the individual or organization responsible for payment.