Fees

Private insurance benefits are generally available for psychotherapy and counseling with or without specific extended services. Insurance will usually pay for individual sessions. Some also pay benefits for couple, family, and group sessions.

Let’s look at how private insurance works for these services:

You can check with your insurance provider to determine your specific benefits. Novo will also check your benefits at your intake visit or before your visit you can complete the New Client Insurance Information form and send it to your chosen therapist or mail@novocounsel.com if your not sure about which therapist you want to see. The appropriate form is included at the end of this section.

Currently, most policies include a ‘deductible’. This deductible is an amount that has to be paid out of your pocket before your insurance begins to pay anything for the services you receive. This deductible amount has become larger over time. You are responsible for the insurance carrier determined full session fee due to your therapist. This deductible may cause you to be responsible for full out of pocket payments for several visits. You must pay your therapist the deductible at each visit. 

Mental Health Parity was enacted several years ago to prevent limited mental health benefits. Parity means you have equal benefits for medical and mental health services. However, policy deductibles increased dramatically when Parity went into effect. The higher deductibles have, it seems, maintained the inequalities involved in out of pocket cost for mental health care. (Mental health benefits are generally paid at much lower fees than medical service benefits.)

If you have met your deductible, you then usually have a copay for your services. That’s true for most mental health and medical services for which insurance benefits are used. These copays can be from $25 to $65 per service, occasionally lower or higher. Like deductibles you must pay copays to your therapist in full, according to your agreement with your insurance provider. 

 Your insurance plan is generally an HMO or a PPO. Your In-Network therapist is required to be on a provider panel/list. Therapists who have contracted to be on in-network agrees to provide services to you that are determined and controlled by your insurance provider. You must also agree to a mental illness diagnosis code on your permanent health record to get any insurance benefits. 

The in-network therapists are generally credentialed and licensed. They are, however, contracted with the insurer and may not always be able to have your best interest as priority.  

There must also be a good “fit” between you and your therapist for the best therapeutic outcome, something that your insurance provider can not look at when giving you therapist referrals. Insurance providers also have the right to demand information about you and your treatment that you probably would not like to share beyond our treatment room. 

 If you do not feel a bond is developing with your therapist after a number of sessions, you might decide to move on.  Interview different therapists who are or are not in-network. If you choose an out-of-network therapist who also has advanced education, is credentialed and licensed, you and your therapist determine the parameters of the services provided and the cost for your service. Everything must be kept confidential unless you give permission for specific disclosure.  

Novo is a comprehensive, wholistic project that focuses on brain and total mind, body, spirit health. This means that your care takes into account services/techniques to maintain and rebuild total health and develop inner calm and peace. You will find our many services under the “Services” heading on our website. Your comprehensive treatment plan, made with Novo and you working together, will include services that may be paid for with insurance if you choose to use it, and services that are part of the Novo Paradigm Shift to non-medical based service provision. Novo is committed to providing the highest quality services to everyone who seeks services.  

What if the services I want/need are not covered by insurance or I don’t want to use my insurance?

Novo has a variety of payment options:  

SESSION FEES

This is similar to how you pay using your insurance benefits. The difference is you and your therapist determine your session fee that is paid in full at the beginning of each session. If you want to receive a reimbursement from your insurance benefits, you will receive a receipt that you can submit to your insurance carrier. 

MONTHLY FEES

This is a fee that is paid monthly, not according to sessions. You and your therapist will determine whether your fee gives you the option for weekly or every other week sessions, as well the amount you pay per month. You pay the monthly fee at the beginning of each month. You will pay this monthly fee even if you miss a scheduled session.  

ABILITY TO PAY REDUCED SESSION FEES

If you are experiencing a lack of adequate income in general, or you have extreme debt that prevents you from paying the regular session fee or the monthly fee, Novo offers fees based on your ability to pay. This option can allow you to pay as little as $25 per session. 

For further information about Novo fees, please call our main office number (630)297-3617. You may also contact mail@novocounsel.com.