The Benefits of Choosing Private Pay for Mental Health Services
Private pay has many benefits for therapy
Learn about why it might be a better choice for you
When choosing a mental health provider, there are a lot of factors to consider such as the ease and timeliness of scheduling, type of treatment, specialization of your provider, and cost. While many people rely on health insurance to cover their health services, many others are choosing not to use insurance for mental health treatment (also called “private pay”). Here are some key benefits of opting for private pay for mental health services.
Confidentiality. If a client is using private pay, their mental health care provider does not send records to an insurance company or third party for review. This means that a client’s diagnosis, treatment plan, and notes are kept private.
Personalized Treatment Choices. When using insurance, clients are limited to how many visits and the length of visits that they can have with their provider, and the type of treatment they can receive. When using private pay, clients are able to have more choice in which provider they see, and the type and length of treatment they can receive. Providers can also offer more than just one-on-one talk therapy clinic sessions, such as groups, music therapy, play therapy, and more.
No Diagnosis Necessary. Insurance companies require a diagnosis in order to cover treatment. Clients who do not meet the standard diagnostic criteria for certain mental health diagnoses (or do not want a diagnosis associated with their medical record) but still require treatment will be able to be seen by a private pay providers.
Timeliness. Insurance providers can sometimes create bottlenecks in access to care due to the authorization processes or limitations on the number of sessions. Private pay often allows clients to start treatment sooner, as they can bypass the lengthy approval processes typically associated with insurance. This can be crucial for those in urgent need of support.
Less Administrative Burden. Fulfilling all of the insurance requirements for reimbursement can be extremely time consuming and costly for providers, which is why many have chosen to accept private pay clients. When a client’s provider accepts insurance, they have less time to spend with their clients and may have to focus more on meeting insurance requirements rather than the quality of their services.
Out-Of-Network Benefits. Clients who use private pay may still be able to be reimbursed for the visits as part of their “out of network benefit”. Depending on the client’s insurance plan, some companies will reimburse the client for some or all of the cost of their visits. The mental health provider can give clients a “superbill” or receipt for the services that the client submits to the insurance company for reimbursement. It is important for clients to understand what their out of network benefits are before submitting claims for reimbursement.
Choosing a mental health provider is a personal choice with many factors to consider. The benefits of choosing private pay include more flexibility, choice in treatment, and confidentiality. If you are considering starting mental health services, private pay may be the solution you are looking for to prioritize your well being on your own terms.
