The Benefits of a Private Pay Practice
The decision to choose between private pay or insurance can be tricky to navigate. While using health insurance may seem like a good decision at first, here are three benefits of being a private pay client at a counseling practice versus an insurance-based counseling practice.
1. You are in Control
When you are a private pay client, you are in control. You have full control to search for and find the counselor who is best suited to help you with your specific needs or specialty. You decide the trajectory of your sessions, with the ability to choose when and how often you would like to meet. You also have access to the tools that allow for increased flexibility, such as mixing online and in-person sessions. Not to mention, there is less paperwork and stipulations, so more time can be spent focusing on you. If you change insurance plans, you can still continue to see your private pay counselor without any changes having to be made.
As an insurance-based client, you are only able to access a select group of counselors, the waitlists tend to be longer, and availability for sessions is more limited. If your insurance plan updates their counselor list, or if you change insurance plans, you will most likely need to find another counselor. Not to mention, more paperwork is required for the insurance company on a regular basis.
2. You are in a safe place
When you are a private pay client, you are in a safe space. You are guaranteed to have privacy and confidentiality. Private pay counselors do not repeat anything you share, any diagnosis that occurs, or any treatment you receive. This gives you peace of mind knowing that any progress that is made will not affect your monthly premium, which potentially could happen under an insurance-based counselor. A private pay counselor is less focused on labeling and solving your problems as quickly as possible, but instead focuses on your needs and the ways in which you need to grow naturally. Since you are the source of pay, rather than an insurance company, you can know with certainty that your private pay counselor has every reason to focus on you and help you grow. This can save you from accidentally being misdiagnosed or treated differently because of any mental illnesses you may or may not have.
As an insurance-based client, you are not guaranteed the same level of privacy and confidentiality. Since an insurance-based counselor is being paid by you and the insurance company, they are required to report any diagnosis that occurs, any treatment you receive and potentially what you share in sessions. Once this information is accessible through your medical records it has the potential of effecting anything from future insurance policies, premium increases, to life insurance coverage.
3. You save in the long run
When you are a private pay client, you save in the long run. Most private counselors use a sliding scale rate, which can change depending on your situation to make it more affordable for those who need it. Also, you can be confident that your insurance premiums will not increase because of any diagnosis or treatment you may receive.
In many cases, insurance will only cover a set number of sessions yearly, and then you must pay out of pocket. Or, you will pay until you reach your deductible. In both cases, you are at the mercy of what the counselor charges. Counselors that work through insurance tend to charge more than counselors that are private pay, since they work through an insurance company.
To put this in perspective, the average amount of time spent in therapy is anywhere from 1-3 years and it is important to be mindful of your decision and how this could impact you in the future. Whether working with an insurance-based counselor or a self-pay counselor it is most important for you to find a counselor you connect well with!
At our private pay practice you can feel reassured that your information and privacy will be our top priority while working on your mental health.
Contact me today at 321-430-4925!
Stephanie Gutierrez MS
Licensed Mental Health Counselor