Does insurance pay for counseling and psychological services?

Posted by: Dr. Justin D'Arienzo, Psy.D., ABPP

Self-pay and Tricare insurance are accepted at D’Arienzo Psychological Group for counseling and psychological services. Continue reading to find out more.  

Understanding how and whether insurance pays for counseling and psychological services are questions that are just as important as finding a competent mental health practitioner to help you or your family member address and resolve psychological problems, relationship problems, or in conducting a psychological evaluation to determine a diagnosis and a treatment plan.

It has been commonplace for medical insurance companies to either not cover mental health services or to offer these services with an increased deductible or increased copay related to behavioral healthcare. As a result of Obamacare there is better parity in services meaning that behavioral healthcare and mental health services are under the same deductible and have the same copay amount as the physical health coverage component.

We accept self paying clients and patients and do not accept insurance for counseling and psychological services. Because behavioral and mental healthcare have been traditionally considered carve-outs or supplemental care, the reimbursement rates for providers is extremely low. Despite changes with Obamacare, these rates remain very low. Due to these low rates, the least qualified and least effective mental health practitioners accept insurance reimbursements for psychological care.

Our practice is designed to offer high quality, effective psychological services, in a professional environment that would be impossible and unsustainable if insurance was accepted. We also do not accept insurance because in order to seek reimbursement we are forced to provide your insurance company with multiple treatment plans, treatment updates, and service verifications, and we must “over document” therapy and evaluation notes. We have found that treatment becomes more about following your insurance company’s requirements rather than spending our efforts helping you to resolve your problems and your family’s problems.

If you are interested in seeking reimbursement from your healthcare insurance company, we are happy to provide you with service invoices and a diagnosis. We will also provide you with direction in completing any necessary paperwork in order for you to receive reimbursement for mental health services rendered. 

However, we do accept Tricare. D’Arienzo Psychological Group operates it’s practice accepting only one insurance provider, which is Tricare. Tricare is the third party payer for military members, retirees, and their families. We continue to accept this insurance based on Dr. D’Arienzo’s past services as an active duty Navy Psychologist as well as a desire to provide this population with the best quality psychological counseling and psychological evaluation services available in the area. If you have sought Tricare services with another provider in another practice and you come to us, you will quickly discover the high level of care offered to the military in our practice compared to our competition. Frankly, there is no competition in how we treat the military and veterans with Tricare healthcare benefits.

Please contact us if you have questions about insurance or self-pay at 904-379-8094.