Insurance

So, why is it so hard to find a therapist who takes insurance??

In short, therapists care about your privacy and want you to have the best therapeutic experience possible.

And, you ask, “What does this have to do with taking my insurance?”

To bill for therapy, a client must be assigned a diagnosis. Meaning, the client must be pathologized and labeled. People often come to therapy to improve their lives. Labeling puts the therapist in the place of having to assign a diagnosis to get paid.

Notes must be kept, and provided, to your insurance company upon request. This introduces a third person into the therapy relationship: The insurance company. This may be the first you have heard of this. Hippa law affords this. This information is found in the intake paperwork filled out before therapy can occur. Most people do not read the fine print.

In the event you do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis, there are three options.

1. Assign a false diagnosis so your insurance company will authorize sessions.

2. Terminate therapy.

3. Work without a diagnosis and risk having your claims denied and not getting paid for therapeutic work.

In terms of your insurance, when it is time to renew your policy or switch plans, you may be faced with increased premiums for a “preexisting condition”.

Also, you may be asked to provide your diagnosis when interviewing for a job. This often happens in government, security, education, and other professions.

Accepting insurance forces therapists into a position of providing insurance-driven treatment. When an insurance company pays for your treatment, they have the final say about what they pay for and what treatment they will cover.

As you may guess. the people making these decisions regarding your treatment, are not even therapists!

And, they have no idea who you are and have never met you. Unlike your therapist, who has years of experience and expertise, along with an established therapeutic relationship with you.

You may be asking yourself at this moment “Why does any therapist take insurance, if this is the reality?”

Good question.

Some therapists are not as focused on quality as quantity, and want to quickly fill slots. oftentimes newer therapists, or those starting out in private practice get on panels. Insurance companies provide a steady stream of referrals. Others do not want to “market” their practice. Some therapists take insurance to build a practice when they are struggling to do so otherwise. Some therapists take insurance to help particular populations or to “give back”.

Liberty Kenyon Counseling, LLC offers a limited number of insurance-paid slots and encourages private pay.