Fees FAQs

  • Individual psychotherapy and coaching sessions: $250 for 55-mintue session.

  • Relationship psychotherapy: $300 for 65-minute session.

    1. Confidentiality: Self-paying provides a higher level of privacy. If insurance is used, the insurance company has access to the client's diagnosis, treatment plans, and progress notes. Some people might prefer to keep this information entirely private.

    2. Choice of Therapist: Not all therapists accept insurance, and some of the best therapists might only take private pay. Therefore, to see a specific therapist, a client might choose to self-pay.

    3. Avoiding Diagnosis: In order for insurance companies to cover therapy costs, a mental health diagnosis is often required. Some clients might not meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis, or they might not want to have a diagnosis on their medical record.

    4. Scheduling Flexibility: Therapists who don't deal with insurance may offer more flexible scheduling options. Some therapists might offer longer session times or different formats (like walking therapy or online therapy) that may not be covered by insurance.

    5. Control over Treatment: When using insurance, treatment might need to follow certain protocols and timelines set by the insurance company. By self-paying, the client and therapist have more freedom to determine the course and length of treatment.

    6. Limited Coverage: Some insurance plans have limitations on the number of sessions covered or only partially cover the cost of therapy, making self-pay a more straightforward option for those who can afford it.

    7. Ease and Simplicity: Dealing with insurance can sometimes be a complex process involving copays, deductibles, pre-approvals, and paperwork. Paying out-of-pocket can be much simpler.

  • Here are a few scenarios where self-pay might be cheaper:

    1. High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs): If an individual has a high deductible health plan, they need to pay a significant amount out-of-pocket before insurance begins to cover costs. If their deductible is high and they haven't met it yet, paying out-of-pocket could be cheaper than going through insurance.

    2. High Co-pays or Co-insurance: Some insurance plans require a high co-pay or co-insurance for each therapy visit. Depending on the therapist's self-pay rate, it might be cheaper to pay out-of-pocket. For instance, if a therapist charges $100 per session and the insurance co-pay is $50, but the therapist offers a discounted self-pay rate of $70, the self-pay option would be cheaper.

    3. Out-of-Network Therapists: If a client is seeing an out-of-network therapist, their insurance may cover only a small portion of the cost, or none at all. If the therapist offers a reasonable self-pay rate or sliding scale, it could be more cost-effective to self-pay.

    4. Limited Coverage: Some insurance plans limit the number of therapy sessions they cover in a certain timeframe. If a client needs more frequent therapy, paying out-of-pocket might be the only way to continue with the additional sessions.

  • "Out-of-network" refers to healthcare providers who are not contracted with a particular health insurance company. Despite this, many insurance plans still provide benefits for using out-of-network providers, although usually at a lower rate than for in-network providers.

    If you're considering seeing an out-of-network therapist, here's how the reimbursement process generally works:

    1. Understand Your Plan: First, you need to understand your insurance plan's out-of-network benefits. Every plan is different. Some may cover a certain percentage of the "usual and customary" costs of therapy, while others may only cover costs exceeding a certain threshold. Make sure you know what your deductible is, as you'll need to pay this amount out-of-pocket before insurance starts to cover costs.

    2. Payment: Typically, you will pay the therapist directly at the time of service. This amount may be more than you'd pay for an in-network provider.

    3. Superbill: The therapist will provide you with a receipt or a document known as a "superbill." This document contains all the necessary information your insurance company needs to process your claim. This often includes the provider's information, your diagnosis code, the type of service you received, the date of service, and the amount you paid.

    4. Submit Claim: You then submit this superbill to your insurance company along with a claim form that you can obtain from your insurance company's website or customer service. The claim form may ask for information about the provider, the service, the reason for the service, and your payment details.

    5. Reimbursement: If approved, the insurance company will reimburse you directly according to the terms of your plan. This may take several weeks or even months. Keep in mind that you may not be reimbursed the full amount that you paid, especially if your therapist's rate is higher than the "usual and customary" rate that your insurance company recognizes.

  • Consider the following questions when determining if your insurance will reimburse you for therapy:

    What are my mental health insurance benefits?

    Do I have out-of-network benefits?

    Has my deductible been met?

    How many sessions per year are covered?

    What percent of the fee will be reimbursed per therapy session?

    Do I need pre-approval from my primary care physician?

  • Yes. Dr. Lassiter accepts Aetna insurance for clients in New York state via Headway .

    Non-Aetna clients may use their out-of-network insurance benefits or self-pay. I am happy to provide you with a monthly receipt (superbill) and documentation to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. Typically services may be covered in full or in part by your insurance provider. Some people also use their employee benefit plan. Some clients are reimbursed up to 80 percent. Please review your coverage carefully, and consult with your insurance provider or human resources agent.

  • Dr. Lassiter uses Headway to bill clients with Aetna insurance in New York state.

    Headway is a billing system. The company’s mission is to increase access to affordable, quality mental health care.

    If you will use Aetna insurance to pay for your sessions with Dr. Lassiter, before your first session you should expect to receive an email from Headway with instructions about how to add your insurance information and what to expect from the billing process.