Frequently Asked Questions

 

Therapy

Individual Therapy: Each session is approximately 50 minutes long. Depending on each individual’s needs it may be appropriate to meet weekly or biweekly. The fee per session is $190. The fee to see a resident in counseling or a pre-licensed therapist is $150.

Couples Therapy: Insurance does not cover couples therapy. Therefore, to see a licensed clinician: it is $250 and to see a pre-licensed therapist it is $200.

Requests for ESA (Emotional Support Animal) or FMLA letters involve additional administrative work and are not typically covered by insurance.For this reason, there is a $100 fee to complete these letters. Please note that this fee may not include the cost of the visit itself.

Payments: We accept cash, personal checks and credit cards. We kindly request that sessions are paid for at the end of the session and have the ability to setup auto-pay for a more relaxed experience.

Sliding Scale

We do offer sliding scale services. Slots are limited. Please contact us to inquire about this service. 

Privacy and Policy

The law protects the relationship between a client and a psychotherapist, and information cannot be disclosed without written permission.

Exceptions include:

  • Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, for which we am required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.

  • If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person/s, we must notify the police and inform the intended victim.

  • If a client intends to harm themselves, we will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in ensuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, we will take further measures without their permission that are provided to us by law in order to ensure their safety.

See the full Privacy Policy here.

Good Faith Estimate Notice 

You have the right to request a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

Insurance

For DC, Virginia, and Maryland residents, we are in network with:

  • CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

  • Cigna

  • Georgetown University Health Plan

For California residents, we are in network with:

  • UC Undergraduate Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP).

  • Cigna

We also provide superbills for out-of-network insurance reimbursement.

Many insurance companies provide out-of-network benefits; if your insurance company offers out-of-network benefits, you should be able to receive some reimbursement for the cost of services. If necessary, we will provide you with a bill and all of the information you will need to file with the insurance company for reimbursement. We encourage you to contact your insurance company to find out your benefits and we are happy to guide you through the process.

1) What is my individual out-of-network deductible?

2) Has my deductible been met?

3) What is my reimbursement rate/percentage for an out-of-network provider once the deductible is met (for individual counseling)?

For out of network benefits, the insurance will cover a portion (somewhere between 50-80%) of the session fee. This can leave you with a small copay as an in-network client!

For those in-network: For questions regarding your copay/deductible amount please contact your health plan (number behind your insurance card). Please be advised that you are responsible for any copays/deductibles and having active coverage.

Change in Health Plan: If you switch health plans, it is your responsibility to make sure that we are in network and to update us as soon as possible.

Benefits of Not Using Insurance:

  • Mental health insurance can be confusing and complex

  • You won’t have to deal with any insurance headaches such as claim denials or insurance trying to dictate your care.

  • No diagnosis needed

  • Full Confidentiality

  • Full control of your treatment

  • You won’t have to worry about insurance claims being paid on time. Claims can take up to 90 days to be paid, so please be patient, for those who choose to use their insurance.

Cancellation Policy

Sessions are reserved specifically for you. However, we understand that unexpected events happen. If you are unable to attend a session, we ask for you to contact your therapist at least 24 hours in advance. Otherwise, you will be charged for the missed session and your insurance will not cover this fee.

If you do not cancel with 24 hours notice, you will be charged the full fee of the appointment.

Tele-Therapy

Research shows that tele-therapy provides the same quality of care as traditional therapy. According to the American Psychological Association, tele-therapy is just as effective as in-person sessions for treating a wide range of mental health conditions. Tele-therapy is convenient, flexible, easily accessible, and effective.

Tele-therapy may be inappropriate for anyone who finds themselves in crisis or severe distress (persistent and intense suicidal thoughts, current self-harm behaviors, psychosis, recent mental health hospitalizations, or safety concerns due to disordered eating or substance use).

Feedback

If you encounter any issues with the phone consultations, communication, scheduling etc please feel free to email: marisol@sanchezcenter.com

We always strive to improve our systems and welcome feedback.