Can I use my insurance benefits with any provider?
Many clients think that if they have insurance any therapist can just take that insurance. I definitely thought that when I was looking for a therapist for myself. This is often not the case unfortunately. Therapists have to get paneled with each insurance separately, which can be quite the process. I’m not paneled with any insurance company and can not take any of my client’s insurance. So does that mean that my client’s can’t use their insurance benefits at all?
Some insurance companies offer Out-of-network benefits, which means that they will reimburse up to a certain amount/percentage for services that were provided by providers that are not paneled with them.
So, if you have insurance and you want to use it for paying for therapy, call your insurance and ask them about the in-network but also their out-of-network benefits.
If they offer out-of-network benefits, your therapist can provide you with a super bill for each therapy session, which you can submit to your insurance to get reimbursed. Just be aware that they most likely won’t reimburse the full amount.
Don’t despair if you find a therapist you really like but who won’t take your insurance. You can always asked for a super bill and most therapist will gladly provide that for you. You’ll just have to upfront the money first and pay the therapist for each session. The reimbursement process with your insurance might take a little while, so it’s important to submit the super bill as soon as you can. And make sure to ask your insurance beforehand if they even offer out-of-network benefits.
Why don’t you take insurance?
Some of you might wonder why I don’t take insurance. And the answer is pretty simple. I am currently not a resident in the US and most insurance companies won’t contract with me when I’m not residing in the states at the time of service. So currently I am unable get paneled because of that.
I found this super helpful blogpost by another therapist, which goes into more detail on this topic. Check it out if my little text here didn’t cover all your questions.
