7 Helpful Hacks for Claiming your Out-of-Network Counseling Benefits
Finding a good therapist can be more challenging than finding a pair of perfect-fitting jeans! (If you’d like a few tips, take a look at the article we posted here about choosing a therapist in Evanston.) Once you’ve made the courageous decision to reach out to an anxiety therapist and have found someone who gets you, you don’t want your insurance benefits to be a roadblock. To make the insurance process easier than ordering your favorite latte, we have 7 helpful hacks for you.
Out-of-Network Counseling Hack #1 – Pick the best therapist for you first, let the insurance issue come after.
Chances are you have spent a lot of time managing your anxiety on your own and feeling the weight of that pain. When you find a therapist who works with you toward greater calm in your life, stick with that person.
We help anxious and lonely women with all of those worries and thoughts that they can’t put to rest and help them calm their minds. We use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to teach you to discover better thinking patterns and replace those that stress you out all day.
Out-of-Network Counseling Hack #2 – Ask your out-of-network therapist how they can help you with a claim.
Out-of-network therapy means that a therapist is not on your insurance company’s list of providers. Yet, using your out-of-network benefits, you may still be eligible to receive money back from your insurance company.
At our Evanston and Chicago area practice, we work with a company, who will help you easily and quickly submit claims to your insurance company for out-of-network benefits. When you have a therapy visit, we will provide you with all of the information you need. We will let you know how to contact the company that works with us to file your claim rapidly through their app. Whew!
The next 5 hacks will help you when you call your insurance company. We provide you with the exact questions you can ask to get the information you need for reimbursement.
Out-of-Network Counseling Hack #3 – Ask “What is my out-of-network deductible?”
You will want to know this dollar amount. Namely, this figure will tell you what you will need to pay out of pocket before receiving reimbursement from your insurance company.
Out-of-Network Counseling Hack #4 – Ask “How much of my out-of-network deductible has already been met?”
Imagine your out-of-network deductible is $1,000, and you have already paid $700 of that total. You will only need to pay $300 more dollars before receiving money back from your insurance company for out-of-network expenses.
Out-of-Network Counseling Hack #5 – Ask “What is my policy period?”
There are two different types of policy periods: “calendar year” policy periods and “policy year” policy periods. The calendar year policy period is from January 1st to December 31st. The insurance company establishes a policy year period, and it might run from June 1-May 31st.
To clarify, knowing this information will help you to determine what portion of your out-of-network deductible you have already paid for a particular policy year.
Out-of-Network Counseling Hack #6 – Ask “What is my coinsurance?”
After you meet your out-of-network deductible, your insurance company may pay a portion of the fee you owe to your therapist. If you have an “80% coinsurance,” your insurance company will pay 80% of your counselor’s rate. For example, if your therapy visit is $150, with an 80% coinsurance, your insurance company will pay $120.00, and you will cover the remaining $30.
Out-of-Network Counseling Hack #7 – Ask “How long do I have to submit my claim?”
Another factor in getting money back from the insurance company is knowing how much time from the “date of service” you have to submit your claim. This period could range between 90-180 days. Be sure to get this information from your insurance company. You wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to be reimbursed.
Using insurance for out-of-network therapists allows you to access quality care without sacrificing your insurance benefits. As shown above, with these helpful hacks, you can work with your therapist of choice and get money back from your insurance company, too!
Let us know how we can help you with your out-of-network insurance benefits.
We provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Relationship Therapy, and Hypnotherapy, for women in Evanston and Chicago IL, virtually and in person. We help women who feel anxiety, isolation, and overwhelm in their lives to find more happiness, satisfaction, and self-acceptance. We journey with you to help you manage your anxiety and depression, so you can find relief from loneliness and feel more connected to others.
There is hope.
