Therapy, differently.
Statement Against Accepting Insurance
​
There are several downsides for both therapist and client when the therapist accepts insurance.
​
1. Less Confidentiality. In order to be paid by insurance companies, therapists are required to share the client's diagnosis, sessions notes, and treatment plan to the client's insurance company. This means that the client's private health information is shared with many more people than it would be if the client paid out-of-pocket.
​
2. Higher Insurance Premiums. When a client renews or changes plans, his or her insurance premiums are likely to rise as a result of his or her "pre-existing condition(s)" i.e. the new mental health diagnosis in the client's record.
​
3. Insurance--Dictated Treatment. When clients use their insurance, the number of sessions and how the therapist treats the client's diagnosis is determined by the insurance company----people who are not therapists, and have not assessed or even met the client!
​
4. Therapist Burnout. Therapists who accept insurance have to see double or triple the number of clients as a private pay therapist to make the same amount of money. In addition, they have significantly more paperwork to do for insurance claims. The more patients a therapist sees, the more likely they will reach burnout.
Bottom Line: Private pay therapy should be considered an investment in one's personal growth and overall wellness, and not avoided "at all costs." Pun intended.
​