How Can You Afford Quality Mental Health Care?
How Can You Afford Quality Mental Health Care?
Is quality psychotherapy affordable? Our members at the Independent Psychotherapy Network are committed to quality care and affordability. Please see our mission statement by clicking on About IPN.
We are all very experienced therapists, practicing throughout Los Angeles County. Our regular meetings are one way we remain committed to maintain and enhance our skills, as well as renew our commitment to quality, caring psychotherapy that is crafted for each individual client. Much of our time together in monthly meetings is devoted to our own professional training and development, as well as supporting each other’s focus on caring for our clients.
Additionally, we make efforts to make therapy affordable:
- Many of us are providers on insurance plans with the major insurance companies (Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, United Health Care, Magellan, Medicare and others). This allows for therapy with affordable co-payments for clients out-of-pocket. Some of these plans require that therapy be pre-authorized by the insurance company reviewers, which providers will cooperate with as needed. Be aware however, that this requires that confidential information about you be shared with the insurance company so that continuing sessions will be approved.
- Some of us are not providers with insurance plans, but some benefits are still available for you to see us as “out of network” providers. There are often some deductibles to be met, and co-pays are higher, but some reimbursement is often available, depending on the details of each insurance plan. Some of these plans, depending on the employer’s payments, can be fairly generous. We will help you with the information to submit to the insurance company for you to receive reimbursement for therapy, though payment must be made to the therapist first.
- Finally, as members of IPN, we have a commitment to see some patients at reduced fees. The ease and frequency with which we can see clients at lower fees, as well as how much we can reduce fees, depends on how each of us sets up our practice. But each of us makes ourselves available for lower fees for at least some clients. All of these questions are welcome at the time of your first contact with a therapist. In addition to finding out how we can be of help, we are committed to making the affordability question as resolved as possible, as soon as possible. If we can’t be of help, then we will help you find another resource for help.
Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Torrance, CA. A member of the Independent Psychotherapy Network, he can be reached at 310 539-2772 or dralanms@gmail.com
Copyright 2019 by Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D.
