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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
I just saw a bill today (my insurance co never sends me anything), from my psychologist as they made a mistake and charged me for my co-pay ($10.00) well the bill for one weekly visit is $235.00!
I am shocked and considering cutting way back even though it doesn't come out of my pocket. That is outrageous.
Do you mind saying how much your therapist charges? I would like to compare. I live in Massachusetts (central).
Thanks,
Abby
Posted by 10derHeart on January 8, 2009, at 17:58:26
In reply to My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
I have therapy with a PhD psychologist as well. He practices in southern Illinois. If he hasn't raised the rates, I think mine charges $175.00 for an initial intake, and $150.00 thereafter. (No relation to what I pay him currently, as we are doing therapy by phone with no insurance involved, and have a direct arrangement we agreed on for that.)
He barely used to receive half of his $150.00 from my insurance, which is very good insurance (first 8 visits for MH okay without a referral, unlimited visits thereafter, with a referral they just need renewed annually) because of what they agree to pay, and he agrees to accept, including my copay. I think he used to get about $80.00, but now after 4 years, it's down to a total of $68.00 with my same insurance provider. They have reduced their payments to MH providers :-(
I don't think $68.00 is nearly enough considering 35 years experience, level of education, training, etc. But I totally understand what you're saying when you look at that figure - it *is* a lot!!
Posted by raisinb on January 8, 2009, at 18:05:23
In reply to My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
Whoa!! My therapist's practice charges $150 a session, but like others, they have a deal with the insurance company so she does get only about $68. Sometimes I think that's ridiculously low--and sometimes I think she's overpaid.
Posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 18:20:50
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot! » Abby Cunningham, posted by 10derHeart on January 8, 2009, at 17:58:26
I never thought about the insurance company skimming so much off the fee :( . I find it difficult to think that she is not getting at least $100 of a $235 fee but maybe not. It's a real touchy subject. I would like to approach with her, but I'm too chicken.
Posted by Kath on January 8, 2009, at 18:25:31
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot! » 10derHeart, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 18:20:50
I go to my T through my husband's work. They provide a service that covers short-term counselling...6 - 8 sessions.
But you can call again for whatever is coming up in your life. Unfortunately my life seems to keep providing me with new things to see her for!
When I first went to her, I asked about the 6 - 8 sessions & how would I know when they were ending etc. She said that she'd tell me the next-to-last appointment. She said that all that office-type stuff was for her to be concerned about & that was her job & she didn't want me to be worrying about it.
Just in case that is of any use to you.
:-)) Kath
Posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 18:29:07
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot! » Abby Cunningham, posted by raisinb on January 8, 2009, at 18:05:23
I've been searching the web for other individual phd's in Massachusetts, and the average fee, even for in Boston, which is more expensive than where I live, in central MA, is $180 more or less.
And this is a clinic, at UMASS, a teaching hospital. I see all kinds of folks coming in which I KNOW cannot pay this amount and must be on state funds. I guess I sound bitter and I should be grateful we have this ability to have this insurance and pay our taxes which go towards helping others who are needy. Sorry for the rant.
Posted by backseatdriver on January 8, 2009, at 20:18:46
In reply to Other PhD's in my state ~much less, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 18:29:07
I had a therapist in Boston who charged $120-$160/hr. depending on what I could pay. This was some years ago, like 1999, but I don't think her fees have gone up much since then. She was a PhD.
I now have a therapist in the Boston area - an MD psychiatrist who does psychotherapy, humanistic/existential - and he charges twice that.
Posted by lucie lu on January 8, 2009, at 20:56:11
In reply to Other PhD's in my state ~much less, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 18:29:07
Nearly all of the clinical psychologists that I know in the Boston/Cambridge area, unless they are very new to practice, have fees close to $200. It's an expensive place to practice (not to mention live). What they actually get from insurance though varies a lot, and in ways I still do not understand.
Posted by yellowbird01 on January 8, 2009, at 21:37:21
In reply to My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
Wow! I thought my therapist was expensive. My therapist's full fee is $120, but I pay $85 because I cant afford the full fee. I only paid my last therapist $32, but she was at a sliding scale clinic. My current therapist is in private practice. I think the fee is fair, but it still really hurts my budget and pretty much wipes out the idea of any savings at this point.
Posted by seldomseen on January 9, 2009, at 2:00:09
In reply to My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
My T is a psychiatrist. He charges $110 for 45 minutes.
He does NOT however, take what insurance pays. I pay him in full, and I file the insurance, they pay me the pittance they would pay him.
He's pretty shrewd that way.
He's worth it though.
All in all, he's worth it and he's never once raised the fee.
Seldom.
Posted by Wittgensteinz on January 9, 2009, at 4:42:13
In reply to My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
$270 does seem a lot. Things are quite different in the Netherlands. Most therapists and all psychiatrists are covered completely if they work within an institute/clinic of some kind. The exception is for those who decide to work independently. My T (an analyst) isn't covered by insurance, as he works independently, so it all comes out of my pocket. You might think me mad to have opted for a high-cost treatment instead of seeing someone for free but there were clear benefits of opting for an independent therapist.
That said he does give me a reduced rate - I pay just under $70 a session, and see him twice weekly. I think his standard rate is $110. I don't know how much he actually 'gets' as the Netherlands has high taxes.
I think you should be happy you are just paying $10 and that $235 figure could be misleading once tax and insurance have taken their chunk off.
In England I had to see a psychiatrist a couple of times privately and that cost something like $400 a time for 50 minutes (the second session we were finished in 30 minutes but he still charged the same rate). Fortunately my insurance fully covered it but most in the UK don't have insurance as there is a public health system - so I was lucky. As far as seeing a free pdoc - that would have meant a 4 month or more wait (if my GP would have referred me - and trying to get a referral is like trying to find gold dust).
Personally, I think things are in a very sorry state in the UK as far as mental health care is concerned (don't be mislead by the rosy picture painted by Michael Moore's 'Sicko'). I'm very happy I don't live there anymore.
Posted by sassyfrancesca on January 9, 2009, at 10:55:03
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot! » Abby Cunningham, posted by Wittgensteinz on January 9, 2009, at 4:42:13
My t charges $80.00, and doesn't take insurance. His website says he charges 100-120.......Pretty soon I have to tell him I cannot see him anymore; I am dreading that like you can only imagine.
Sassy
P.S. My t is a Ph.D.
Posted by antigua3 on January 9, 2009, at 11:14:42
In reply to My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
T, who has an MSSW and is a LCSW: $140; insurance pays $30. Ridiculous.
More ridiculous. Psychiatrist: $250; insurance pays $60.
Neither takes insurance. I pay in full and get the pittance back from the insurance company.
antigua
Posted by Phillipa on January 9, 2009, at 13:34:30
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by antigua3 on January 9, 2009, at 11:14:42
Don't know what medicaire paid mine or her rate my co-pay was $38.00 PHD. Phillipa
Posted by Looney Tunes on January 10, 2009, at 11:11:49
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by antigua3 on January 9, 2009, at 11:14:42
I have found that more and more T's are NOT taking insurance anymore. When I moved here, there were very few in my insurance panel and most of them did "short-term therapy" or were younger and less experienced. (no-way could handle me - LOL)
My T charges normally charges like $180 per 50-minute session (I think). T also likes to do longer sessions.
But, I only pay $70 because otherwise I would have to quit. I also can't afford extended sessions.The state of mental health payment is HORRIBLE and I can only hope that things change in the next several years....
Posted by Poet on January 10, 2009, at 18:16:35
In reply to My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
Hi Abby,
My T bills insurance for $120.00 per session. She's not a PhD, but still, $245.00 seems really high to me. You're really fortunate that your insurance will cover that high of a charge. I know mine has caps on coverage amounts for some services.
Poet
Posted by lucie lu on January 11, 2009, at 18:22:24
In reply to My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 8, 2009, at 17:36:48
FYI-
Nearly all of us in the U.S. have had the experience of receiving paltry mental health insurance coverage while coverage for physical conditions is much, much better. This will all change in Jan 2010. As part of the 2008 bailout package that was passed by Congress, a nationwide mental healthy parity law also was passed. This means that it will be illegal for insurers to discriminate against people getting mental health treatment. Parity means that treatment for mental illness will have to be equivalent to that for physical illness. This nationwide parity law will supercede any existing state laws, which may be more restrictive. Anyone who is interested in learning more about this can contact Sen. Ted Kennedy's office in Washington (look on the web for contact information - ask for the office handling the mental health parity issue), since he is one of the senators who helped to push this legislation through (the other primary sponsor, I believe, was Sen Pete Dominici of NM). Mental health organizations have lobbied for this legislation for many years, and finally have been successful in getting this passed. It is about time.
Posted by kath on January 11, 2009, at 19:22:32
In reply to mental health coverage will change in 2010, posted by lucie lu on January 11, 2009, at 18:22:24
Wow - that sounds HUGE!!!
Being from Canada, where we probably pay bigtime through our taxes, but don't have to pay actual medical insurance, I wonder how people can afford medical insurance. Is it very much per month? I know there'd be various types/prices. I wonder what the price range would be?
Kath
Posted by lucie lu on January 11, 2009, at 20:05:08
In reply to Re: mental health coverage will change in 2010 » lucie lu, posted by kath on January 11, 2009, at 19:22:32
Ah, comparing our system to yours is another story altogether. There is no question, health care in the US is expensive. The only thing this new parity law does is make some equivalence between mental and physical illnesses... it does not mean that health care is affordable and accessible for everyone and for everything. Sadly.
Posted by kath on January 11, 2009, at 20:16:27
In reply to Re: mental health coverage will change in 2010, posted by lucie lu on January 11, 2009, at 20:05:08
Yes, I realized that it was about pulling the mental health coverage to a par with medical health coverage for those with insurance. That's it, right? So that the companies offering insurance must provide equally for mental health & medical health. But that's a very big step, it sounds like.
:-) Kath
Posted by no_rose_garden on January 11, 2009, at 20:39:22
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by Looney Tunes on January 10, 2009, at 11:11:49
Abby, seems like you have a pretty good insurance if you only have to pay $10 of that!
My T isn't on my insurance panel, but my insurance still pays 50% for those who aren't...
So I pay T $120 and then I turn in receipts to insurance company and get a check worth half of what I paid.
I sort of like it this way...I know T isn't spending all histime dealing w/ insurance co. and I get a nice check in the mail :)
Posted by lucie lu on January 11, 2009, at 20:59:12
In reply to Re: mental health coverage will change in 2010 » lucie lu, posted by kath on January 11, 2009, at 20:16:27
Yes, you're right, Kath, it is huge! Thanks for recognizing that :) I have a lot of respect for the Canadian health system, actually. And some other national health systems too; just don't want to get too political on this board.
Posted by Abby Cunningham on January 12, 2009, at 7:59:34
In reply to mental health coverage will change in 2010, posted by lucie lu on January 11, 2009, at 18:22:24
Hi Lucie Lu,
thanks for posting that info re the mental health parity - it's great news for everyone else.I already knew about it but most important for me is that my insurance ALREADY HAD PARITY ; in other words I could go as if it were a medical condition and it was covered even if I need to go 2x a week or whatever.
I am truly glad for everyone else. Mental health should never have had a limit to the number of visits, hospitalization, etc.
Abby
Posted by Abby Cunningham on January 12, 2009, at 8:04:39
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot!, posted by no_rose_garden on January 11, 2009, at 20:39:22
Hi guys,
I have an appointment this morning with my Psychologist and I would love to bring up this subject but it is so touchy, anything to do with money!
Should I just leave it alone and decide if I want to continue with her knowing how much the Clinic (not her private practice) gets, or somehow brig it up?
She also has a private practice and if I am being charged $235.00, maybe I should ask her if I can see her privately - it is a closer drive to her office there and also would not be subjected to the clinic which is not horrible, but a private setting would be much preferable to me. She hasn't mentioned it but I am sure she might go along with it.
Posted by Abby Cunningham on January 12, 2009, at 8:08:51
In reply to Re: My psychologist charges a lot! » no_rose_garden, posted by Abby Cunningham on January 12, 2009, at 8:04:39
Above message is for everyone. I want so badly to say something about the charge. I truly don't feel I am getting that much benefit at almost FIVE DOLLARS per minute! I don't feel any transference. I like her just fine and she has some great insights at times, but I still don't feel a strong attachment to her!
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