Insurance for Counseling

How do I use my insurance with Keystone Counseling?

Upon paying our full fee up front, we will provide you with a detailed receipt. Submit this receipt with the reimbursement claim form you get from your insurance company. Claim forms are typically found in your account on the insurance company’s website. We are considered an out-of-network provider.

If you plan to file for reimbursement, you will need to call your insurance provider prior to scheduling your first appointment with Keystone in order to determine your carrier’s policy on covering counseling sessions. The number to call can be found on the back of your insurance card.

Please note most insurance companies do not cover relationship counseling, which is the reason we keep our fees lower than other counseling practices.

What impact does insurance have on the therapy process?

When you and your therapist come together to form a plan, it should be tailored to your life and situation. However, when a therapist is part of an insurance network, the insurance will only pay for certain diagnoses. They will dictate the length and type of treatment they will pay for. As a result, the experience ends up being less personal and more generic. It may also require the therapist to record an incorrect diagnosis just so the insurance company will pay.

What are the risks of letting a therapist record an incorrect, but covered diagnosis?

Everything submitted to insurance companies goes on your permanent health record. This can have implications for future health coverage, certain career tracks, lawsuits, and can possibly affect schooling. Diagnoses that insurance companies will cover are typically more severe than what the client is actually experiencing, so it is best to have the most accurate diagnosis.

What are the privacy concerns of using an in-network therapist?

In-network therapists are required to share private treatment plans and diagnoses with insurance companies. A treatment plan is a document stating the course of action the therapist is going to take with a client.

For therapy to work, you must feel free to disclose difficult and sometimes painful information. If a therapist is part of an insurance network, that therapist is obligated to share all details with representatives of the insurance company when requested. This is one of the primary reasons we choose to remain out-of-network.

Health Records Exposure

All insurance plans involve direct oversight by the plan’s managers. This makes it necessary for an in-network therapist to disclose anything and everything related to your case to your insurance company.

This information is used by the insurance company for determining benefits, which they allocate at their own discretion without input from the therapist.

Lack of Control

Insurance companies often want to completely control the therapy process. In this scenario, they will dictate the specific treatment plan that the therapist is to follow for a given diagnosis. However, therapy is highly personal and there is no “one size fits all” approach. It is very subjective and insurance company interference can hurt the process more than help.

Likewise, almost all plans only allow for a certain number of therapy sessions. Your insurance company will determine when it is time to terminate treatment without regard to whether you are truly finished with the process.

No Real Privacy

Another way in which a lack of privacy can be detrimental is that FBI and other law enforcement officials can also access your insurance information at any time. This information could be used to your disadvantage should a legal problem arise.

Furthermore, this lack of confidentiality could impact minor children even more negatively. Should they ever desire to apply for certain jobs or educational programs, such as law enforcement or military, the information in their insurance files could be used against them.

Out-of-Network Offers Best Protection

By remaining an out-of-network therapy practice, Keystone Counseling is not obligated to share any information with any insurance company. Should you choose to file for reimbursement through your insurance, Keystone Counseling only has to provide an official diagnosis code. We are not obligated to nor do we share any other information regarding your sessions.