Fees & Policies

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High Quality Services

Much time and effort go into the delivery of psychological and behavioral health services.  In order to maintain a high standard of care, we establish a fee schedule that helps protect the quality. We strive to collaborate with insurance companies who believe in our model of care and support our clinic with fair contractual agreements.  

In-Network 

Aetna, AmeriHealth, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, HSCSN, and Tricare.

At Belle Âme, we believe that insurance companies should be held accountable for providing accurate information to providers and their members.  Please never end a call with an insurance representative until you have recorded the rep's name, title, department, call back number, email, fax, and supervisor's name.  You should also request a written confirmation outlining the key information that you have been told along with a confirmation code.  

Out-of-Network 

For clients hoping to submit to their insurance for out-of-network reimbursement, we can provide upon request a super-bill to self-submit to your insurance. 

Please check your coverage carefully by posing the following questions to your insurance company:

• Do I have out-of-network benefits?
• Do I have behavioral/mental health insurance benefits?
• Do I have an out-of-network deductible? 
• Has my out-of-network deductible been met?
• How do I submit the super-bill?
  • What information is needed on the super-bill?
  • What percentage of treatment is covered?
• Is there a limit on the number of sessions that will be reimbursed?
• How long will it take for my reimbursement check to arrive after I submit the super bill?
• When do the approved number of sessions expire (e.g. 6 months, 12 months)?  
• What must be done to increase the number of sessions allotted if more are needed?
• What is the coverage amount per session for initial evaluation, individual therapy, and family therapy? 
• Is approval required from my primary care physician to have behavioral/mental health sessions covered?
• What is the authorization number or confirmation number associated with this request in case I need to call back or provide it on paperwork down the line?
• What is your (the rep you are speaking with by phone) first and last name, title, department, direct line and extension, fax, and email?
• How long should I anticipate waiting before receiving follow up information?
• If I start services before receiving a final answer from you, can I still be reimbursed for those visits?

Fee Schedule

• $460 Initial Evaluation
• $250 Follow Ups

Other: 

• $150 Consultations 5 - 29 minutes 
• $250 Consultations 30 - 59 minutes
• $400 Documentation Fee for paperwork requests that fall outside of standard record keeping practices. The documentation fee may be more depending on the nature of the request and the estimated time that it will require to produce.

*A consultation is defined as a professional interaction conducted outside of scheduled therapy time.  

Scheduling

Speak with your provider about the number of appointments that you are expected to have each month.  This expectation should be outlined in the treatment plan. Stick with that expectation until it is formally changed.  You are responsible for contacting Belle Âme to schedule your follow up sessions.  See below for best practices for scheduling follow up sessions:

• Protect a few minutes before or after your session to discuss the calendar with your provider.  It is best to schedule approximately 2 or 3 sessions into the future. 
• There are times in which people may prefer meeting on the same day and at the same time each week.  This may be  possible for off-peak times of the day; however, high-demand slots must be divided across several clients.  Please be as flexible and understanding as possible when working on the schedule with your provider.
• If you miss a session and do not have any subsequent appointments in the calendar, please go to the calendar available in the client portal.  There you will see a display of available openings.  Select an opening to book.
• If you don't have the ability to schedule using the online calendar this could be because your online scheduling privilege has been restricted due to an outstanding balance or violation of the attendance policy.   

Declined Payment Fee

There is a $50 fee whenever a payment is declined by a bank or credit card company.  This can be avoided by updating your card on file whenever it is approaching expiration or whenever the account associated with the card is closed.   

Cancellation Policy

Life happens and it is sometimes unpredictable.  If you do not show up for your scheduled therapy appointment, and you have not notified us at least 24 hours in advance, you will be charged a $35 fee on the first occurence.  However,  you will be charged a  $100 cancellation fee for subsequent occurrences.  

Late Arrival

When a person is late for their appointment by 15 minutes or more, this qualifies as a no-show.  You should call ahead if you are running late to see if your provider has any flexibility to adjust the start time. Please note that the calendar is typically set weeks or months in advance so a provider may be unable to accommodate.  Please select your appointment times wisely and plan your day carefully to reduce the probability of tardiness.

Acceptable Forms of Payment 

All major credit cards are accepted for payment.  We use an online portal called Simple Practice.  During online registration, you will be invited to enter your credit card information into a secure portal.  The charge for services will go to the card on file.  Clients with accepted insurance plans still must meet their deductible before their benefits kick-in.  Please check your benefits to determine your deductible.  You are expected to pay the standard fee until your deductible has been met.   Co-pays must also be paid on the date of service.