Dr. Barbara Bear

 Adolescent, Young Adult, and Adult Psychological Services

Educational and Career Consultant, Executive Coach, Organizational Psychologist, Certified Autism Specialist, Master of Jurisprudence in Child Law and Policy

Fees & Insurance

Fees

For self-pay patients, my usual, customary fees are $200 for an initial intake (75-90-minute session), $150.00 per 60 minute session, and $125 for a 45 minute session. Fees for psychological assessments/testing depend on the cost of the materials needed to be purchased for assessments.  Fees for psychological testing are based on the cost of assessment tools, time spent with the client, time spent taking the assessment, and time spent on the interpretation of results. If you choose to file insurance, I will honor the contracted rate with your insurance company. 

If you choose to file insurance, you are responsible for any services insurance does not cover. If you file insurance, your contracted rate may differ from my self-pay rates. In some cases, I do offer sliding scale rates. 

Payment

Payment is requested when services are rendered by check, cash, or credit card.

Insurance

Insurance Companies will only pay for services that are "medically necessary." In order to utilize your medical insurance for mental health treatment, you must be diagnosed with a mental illness disorder. Additonally, the clinician must prove that your mental health condition is affecting your health and overall functioning on a daily basis. 

It is the client's responsibility to contact their insurance provider and verify their benefits and out-of-pocket responsibility before their first appointment. Otherwise, the client will be responsible for self-pay rates. The client is expected to pay for non-allowable and deductible charges, as well as co-payments, when services are rendered. If an insurance payment is not received with 60 days, after a claim is filed, the client will become responsible for payment of the total amount due. The client is responsible for following up with their insurance company for delayed payments and other concerns. I am not in network with Medicaid or Medicare.

Most insurance companies reimburse for a percentage of my services if I am  “in-network” with the insurance company. However, you pay for services upfront if I am “out-of-network” with your insurance company. Then I help guide you through submitting the necessary claims forms to get directly reimbursed by your insurance company. (Note that insurance providers are typically required to reimburse clients within 30 days of receiving a claim, so this typically keeps the process running smoothly.) On average, most clients are reimbursed between 50% – 80% for services, but my Insurance Benefits Guide (along with a call to your insurance company) will help you determine your plan’s specific benefits. Also, I accept Flexible Spending  Account (FSA) Cards and Health Savings Account (HSA) Cards in our office. Most FSA and HSA accounts cover therapy, testing, and groups.

Billing

I collect payment from clients at time of service.  I do not send out bills unless insurance has not been paid within 60 days. This is a reminder of the balance due and is an informational statement to keep you up-to-date regarding your account status. My usual and customary collection procedures will be followed to collect unpaid balances and co-payments due.

Refunds

Refunds are issued once a month, only after all pending claims have cleared.

Past Due Accounts

Processing past-due accounts is expensive. Accounts that are over 90 days past due may be assigned to my collections attorney or small claims court, depending upon the total balance due, for enforcement of collection.

Missed Appointments

If you cannot keep an appointment, please notify my office by phone or email immediately. If an appointment is canceled or missed without a 24-hour advance notice, you will be charged $85. I have 24-hour-a-day phone coverage through my office and after-hours voice mail. Insurance does not pay for missed appointments; therefore, you will be financially responsible for the full fee.

Responsibility

The client (or referring parent in the case of clients ages 16-26) is responsible for the payment of

my professional fees. It is the client's responsibility to know the amount of their deductible and/or co-payment. When I am requested to bill a third party, such as a divorced spouse, relative, or insurance company, and that third party fails to make timely payments, payment is expected from the referring parent who signed the consent for services. The client will be responsible for claims that are denied due to "filing past the insurance carrier's time limit," which is the result of failure by the client to inform this office of changes in insurance coverage. 

I appreciate the opportunity you have provided for me to serve you. If you have any questions, please discuss them with me.