FAQ
What insurance do you take?
I am in-network with the following health insurance plans through Alma for individual psychotherapy in Virginia and District of Columbia:
AETNA (Also in network in Maryland).
Optum
UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services (UHSS)
GEHA - UnitedHealthcare Shared Services (UHSS)
UnitedHealthcare Global
UnitedHealthCare Exchange Plans (ONEX)
Oscar
Harvard Pilgrim
Oxford
UHC Student Resources
UMR
All Savers (UHC)
Health Plans Inc
Surest (Formerly Bind)
What are my options if you are not in network with my health insurance?
I am able to accept FSA and HSA cards for payment.
I can also provide you with what is commonly known as a Super Bill. You would pay me directly and work with your insurance company to be reimbursed. It is up to you to advocate for yourself with the insurance company. I strongly encourage you to speak to your insurance company prior to doing this if you expect them to reimburse you. There are no guarantees your insurance company will reimburse you.
Do I have to use my health insurance?
No. It is completely up to you. People choose to private pay for various reasons. One reason is related to why an insurance company pays for care. An insurance company pays for your healthcare. This means that a diagnosis is required in order for your insurance company to pay. However, some individuals prefer to work on a goal not related to a symptom of a diagnosis.
Why do you not accept health insurance for relationship/couples counseling or mindfulness coaching?
For relationship/ couples counseling, insurances will not pay for relationship challenges as it is not considered a mental health diagnosis. Occasionally insurance companies will pay to support a couple with the symptomatology of one of the partners' mental health diagnosis. However, this does not allow the couple to have a relationship goal. Many times this support can be provided by the partner's individual psychotherapist.
Mindfulness Coaching is not a covered service under the insurance plans Liz is in-network with.
Do you have a no show fee/ late cancellation fee?
Yes. I reserve the time specifically for you. I also often have to turn people away who are seeking help. Therefore, I have a no show/ cancellation policy to support the commitment to therapy. I require 24 hours notice if you are going to cancel an appointment. Every client is expected to have a credit card on file. If you do not provide 24 hour notice the session fee of $165 (individual/ mindfulness coaching) or $250 (relationship/ couples counseling) will be charged the day the session is missed. Of course if there is an ongoing challenge I am aware of (such as urgent medical care etc) other arrangements might be made individually. Please note insurances do not pay no show fees.
Here is information on the No Surprises Act. It provides you with the right to receive a good faith estimate of what your services may cost.
You can read more about this act here: https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
My private pay rates are on my services page.
If you use your in-network health insurance benefit, Alma will run an eligibility check that will provide your out of pocket cost such as your co-pay, deductible, or other expense. I will provide this to you.
If you decide to use your out-of-network insurance benefit you will need to pay me directly my private pay rate. I will provide you with a Super Bill (a detailed receipt). You will need to work directly with your insurance company to find out how to get reimbursed and the amount that they will reimburse.
Why do I need to be in Virginia, the District of Columbia, or Maryland to receive services?
I am licensed to provide services in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland. Therefore the client needs to be located in one of these areas. Although it might seem odd since you can easily stand in Maryland and DC or Virginia and Tennessee at the same time, the laws are very specific about this requirement. There is some advocacy work being done to have multi-state jurisdictions; however this appears to be a slow process.