Adolescent, Young Adult, and Family Psychotherapy Services
Rates & Insurance
In regard to insurance coverage, it is important for our families to know that we are “out-of-network” providers for most insurance companies, and will provide all paperwork necessary for families to obtain their appropriate out-of-network reimbursement. This means that families pay for services out of pocket at the time of service, and are given the reimbursement paperwork to send directly to their insurance carrier. If subscribers have out-of-network benefits, insurance companies will generally reimburse between 60-80 percent of these claims after a deductible has been met. We will also advocate for families with insurance companies if reimbursement issues arise, and are usually successful at obtaining this benefit for them.
The cost of our services, $150.00 per 50-minute hour, is within the usual and customary fee scale for doctoral-level professional services in our community. In cases where families have special financial needs, I have several reduced-fee time slots that may be available. I do not participate directly in insurance networks because I base my treatment on the needs of my clients, tailoring my approach to each client and their unique situation. Often, insurance companies will not reimburse therapists for the many collateral services that are required to help struggling adolescents, such as phone contacts with parents, school consultations, letters, and PPT meetings. I prefer to be guided by what is required by and in the best interests of my clients, and not the financial needs of an insurance company or the limiting approach to treatment that many of these companies require.
I am also committed to confidentiality and my client's privacy. Your health insurance carrier may require disclosure of confidential information in order to process claims. Only the minimum necessary information will be communicated to your insurance carrier, including diagnosis, the date and length of appointments, and what services were provided. Often the billing statement and your company's claim form are sufficient. Sometimes treatment summaries or progress reports are also required.
While insurance companies claim to keep this information confidential, I have no control over the information once it leaves my office. Please be aware that submitting a mental health invoice for reimbursement carries some risk to confidentiality, privacy, or future eligibility to obtain health or life insurance. Nonetheless, as a courtesy to my clients, I will of provide (HICF) claim forms for them to send to their insurance company, and will provide them with a receipt or invoice for professional services that can be used for health savings account verification and tax-reduction purposes. Please understand that I cannot guarantee any level of reimbursement from a client’s insurance company though I will do my best to assist families in the process.
$200.00 Initial Appointments (Intake - 1.5 Hours) Flat Fee
$150.00 per 50-minute session
*Phone sessions such as parent consults, consults with school staff and other
providers, and formal letters are all billed at the regular rate in
half-hour increments or by separate agreement
*There is a one-hour minimum charge for letters only
Reduced fee services are available on a limited basis. Arete maintains a number of lower-fee appointment slots, usually earlier in the day for this purpose. These are assigned to clients based on financial need and availability.
Cash, checks, and Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit/debit cards including all Health Savings Account cards can be used for payment. At intake, the party financially responsible for the client will be given the payment agreement form and a credit card information sheet to file a credit card with Arete. The client may specify if they want to make regular payments using the credit card, in which case Dr. Abbott will debit the card for each session using a professional and highly secure online credit card processing service.
Since payment is due at the time of service, if clients do not bring cash or a check to the session, the card will be debited for the appropriate amount for the session as a matter of policy. The credit card payment service can also be utilized for payment for charges that are not direct face-to-face services such as phone calls, letters, and consultations with other professionals as requested by the client.
Please be aware that 24-hour notice is required for cancellations. If we receive less than 24 hours notice, the full fee will be charged, unless the cancellation is due to an illness, emergency, or is deemed to be unavoidable for clinical reasons in a given case.
