We recognize that evidence-based treatment is often hard to access and we do our best to make our services available and affordable. We are committed to making treatment available to those who need it. As such our therapists are contracted with some insurance carriers (see below) and with certain types of Medi-Cal. Please read on for details.
Low-Cost Eating Disorder Therapy
In order to help bring specialized eating disorder therapy to more individuals in California in need, our psychology externs, practicing under Dr. Muhlheim, offer low-cost therapy for $60 per session. To inquire, complete this form (and put Psychology Extern) under “Requested Clinician.”
Psychotherapy Fees
- Our owner’s (Dr. Muhlheim’s) fee is $280 for an initial session and $250 for a 55-minute follow up.
- Our doctoral level and/or certified eating disorder specialists rate is (Dr. Carcieri and Ms. Comas) $250 for an initial session and $225 per each 55-minute follow-up session.
- Our masters level therapists (Ms. Barker, Ms. Siegel, and Mr. Dang) charge $190 for an initial session and $170 per each 55-minute follow up session.
- Our associate level therapists (Dr. Flanigan, Dr. Tantini, Ms. Poynter, and Ms. Wermer) have an introductory rate of $140.
Major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and Discover, and Paypal are accepted.
Payment is due at the time of your appointment.
Once you have scheduled an appointment, you will be expected to pay for it unless you provide 24 hours advance notice of cancellation. You will be charged for no-shows and for appointments canceled with less than 24-hours notice. Insurance will not cover missed sessions and you will be responsible for the full fee, not just the co-pay.
Please feel free to discuss any billing or payment matters with us.
YOUR RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AGAINST SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS (OMB Control Number: 0938-1401)
See your rights under the Patient Protection Against No Surprises Act
Insurance Information
Our psychotherapists are preferred providers only with: Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna, Kaiser, Meritain, Lyra, Beacon Partnership, and Anthem Medi-Cal.
You should also be aware that sometimes insurance companies subcontract out their behavioral health contracts, so please verify that your behavioral health benefits are with Blue Cross or Aetna and not some third party. Even if you hold an insurance card from one of the companies above, you should call to make sure that company actually administers your behavioral health benefits and check to see what your plan covers. If your behavioral health benefits are subcontracted out to another company then our psychotherapy services will likely be considered out-of-network.
Please note that within California, Blue Cross and Blue Shield are two separate companies. Our psychotherapists ARE in-network providers for Anthem Blue Cross, but ARE NOT in-network for Blue Shield of California. If you have Blue Cross/Blue Shield from another state WE MAY be an in-network provider.
We will submit claims electronically directly to the insurance companies with whom we are in network. Our administrative staff will help try to verify your benefits and make you aware of any deductibles and copays that need to be met before insurance will contribute to the cost of your sessions. While we do our best to verify benefits, an estimation of benefits is not a guarantee of coverage. You are encouraged to call and verify coverage with your insurance company. You must disclose to us all active insurance policies as well as inform us immediately of any changes or lapses in insurance coverage. You are ultimately responsible for all charges for services rendered in the event that services rendered are not covered by your insurance company.
If you have mental health coverage by another insurance company and have a PPO plan, services with our psychotherapists as an “out of network provider” may still be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. We are willing to complete the necessary paperwork for you to receive any mental health benefits to which you are entitled. However, you are responsible for paying us for your sessions regardless of what your insurance company decides, and we cannot guarantee that you will be reimbursed. If you wish to be reimbursed, it is important that you discuss these issues with your insurance company prior your first appointment.
If you plan on using insurance to pay for psychotherapy, please be aware of the following information:
- Payment for psychotherapy sessions by insurance companies requires us to submit a psychiatric diagnosis.
- Some mental health insurance plans require pre-authorization before the first session, or billing will be denied until that authorization is obtained. Please be prepared to provide your authorization number, co-payment, and number of sessions allowed at your first appointment.
- Insurance companies do not pay for missed sessions or late cancellation fees. If you miss an appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours notice, you are responsible for the entire contracted rate (your regular co-pay plus the insurance portion). If you arrive late for a session, the insurance cannot be billed for the full time of your session and you are financially responsible for the difference.
- If you decide to use your insurance for psychotherapy, check your coverage carefully before the initial session by asking the following questions:
- Do I have mental health benefits?
- What insurance company provides my mental health coverage and what is the billing address to send claims?
- Do I need to obtain an authorization for individual psychotherapy?
- What is my deductible and has it been met?
- How much does my plan cover for an in-network and out-of-network provider?
- What is my co-pay for Individual Psychotherapy sessions for an in-network provider?
- How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?