Although AMI does offer super-bills to clients who wish to possibly be reimbursed by their PPO's, AMI does not directly bill or communicate with insurance companies at any time or for any reason. AMI is a private pay treatment facility, and fees are due prior to the beginning of service.
Why is AMI so anti-insurance? Insurance companies are notoriously restrictive when it comes to psychotherapy. In a recent government study, nearly 90% of insurance companies: 1) refuse to pay for the treatment of certain diagnoses 2). force mandatory limits on the number of sessions available to a client, and 3). often undercut and override doctors by dictating treatment plans that will maximize profit. Additionally, insurance companies have often breached client confidentiality thus causing the client professional, legal, and/or personal damage. For all of these reasons, Dr. Wilson believes that doing business with modern day insurance companies is often ethically unsound. Therefore, to strictly protect your confidentiality as a client and to ensure his own ability to properly treat your needs, Dr. Wilson does not directly bill or interact with medical insurance companies.
For many of us, paying for needed psychological services can be challenging. The costs involved in psychotherapy, however, are not insurmountable. For instance, the typical course of psychotherapy lasts for about fifteen to twenty weeks. At $300 for the initial intake session and $150 for each individual therapy session after that, the total cost of twenty weeks of treatment (spread across twenty weeks) is $3,300. Please note that the fees for couple's and family therapy are higher than those for individual psychotherapy or personal advisement.
Many of us have some savings in place for needed health services. Many of us also have access to some credit, either in the form of a personal loan (from family and friends), or a low interest loan against an asset (i.e., home equity, IRA's, etc). Most of us also have a credit card or two that can be used to cover some of the cost if things get economically tight during the course of therapy.
Additionally, most local banks offer personal loans to their clients. You can go to your bank's website and search for "personal loans." The companies listed below offer personal loans for health care expenses:
If all else fails, Dr. Wilson is more than willing to discuss a payment plan that will meet your needs and your budget. As a last resort, you may qualify for sliding scale or pro bono therapy.