Posted by emmanuel98 on January 17, 2012, at 19:33:21
In reply to Re: What you pay for » Raisinb, posted by pegasus on January 16, 2012, at 8:28:34
I am seeing this DBT therapist and she told me that she was thinking about going off the insurance panel I had because the reimbursement rate was so low. My p-doc met with she and I and both felt I should see her every week and have her take primary responsibility for my suicidality. She was reluctant because of the high risk and low fee. So let's talk about compensation, my p-doc said. My insurance company allows her only $65/hour (including my $20 co-pay) while they allow my p-doc $125/hour. We agreed that I would pay her the difference between her regular rate and the insurance rate, rather than have her go off the panel, which I couldn't afford at all. This is against insurance rules, but as my p-doc said, it's just between the three of us. I understand her resentment about the fee. I myself felt it was unfair how badly she was compensated. She and I both feel much better about the whole situation now that she is getting what I feel is a fair fee. She does have to pay for an office, a phone, her mortgage and living expenses. If she is going to take on responsibility for someone who is stressful in terms of chronic suicidality (and I know I am), it's only fair and right that she should receive a reasonable fee.
I think it's terribly unfair that my p-doc gets double what she, a social worker, gets from the insurance for essentially the same service. And I know they underpay him compared to what he could get privately. But, as he told me once, he doesn't need the money and doesn't see me for the money. He could make more doing med visits, but likes doing therapy.
> And on the other hand, I read some of her other posts about money, and I like the way she talks about setting a fee that is good for her *and* the client. I agree that it can be helpful for the fee to be enough that it hurts a little, but isn't financially out of range.
poster:emmanuel98
thread:1006988
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20111220/msgs/1007615.html