Health insurance and payments
Because I am a licensed psychologist, many health insurance plans will help you pay for therapy and other services I offer. These plans include Blue Shield and most Major Medical plans. Because health insurance is written by many different companies, I cannot tell you what your plan covers. Please read your plan's booklet under coverage for "Outpatient Psychotherapy" or under "Behavioral Health." Or call your insurer's office to find out what you need to know. If your health insurance will pay part of my fee, I will help you with your insurance claim forms. However, please keep three things in mind:
- You are responsible for checking your insurance coverage, deductibles, payment rates, and so forth. Your insurance contract is between you and your company; it is not between me and the insurance company. If pre-approval for services is a requirement through your insurance company, we will help you with this process. Please let us know before the beginning of testing so that we may start this process.
- You—not your insurance company or any other person or company—are responsible for paying the fees we agree upon.
- I am currently not participating on preferred provider organizations (PPOs), HMOs, or managed care panels; therefore, your coverage will fall under an “out of network” claim.
Client confidentiality policy
Psychological services are best provided in an atmosphere of trust. You expect me to be honest with you about your problems and progress. I expect you to be honest with me about your expectations for services, your compliance with medication, and any other barriers to treatment.
I will treat with great care all the information you share with me. It is your legal right that our sessions and my records about you are kept private. That is why I ask you to sign a “release of records” form before I can talk about you or send my records about you to anyone else. In general, I will tell no one what you tell me. I will not even reveal that you are receiving treatment from me.
In all but a few rare situations, your confidentiality (that is, your privacy) is protected by state law and by the rules of my profession. Here are the most common cases in which confidentiality is not protected:
- If you were sent to me by a court for evaluation or treatment, the court expects a report from me. If this is your situation, please talk with me before you tell me anything you do not want the court to know. You have a right to tell me only what you are comfortable with telling me.
- Are you suing someone or being sued? Are you being charged with a crime? If so, and you tell the court you are seeing me, I may then be ordered to show the court my records. Please consult your lawyer about these issues.
- If you make a serious threat to harm yourself or another person, the law requires me to try to protect you or the other person. This usually means telling others about the threat. I cannot promise never to tell others about threats you make.
- If I believe that a child has been or will be abused or neglected, I am legally required to report this to the authorities.
As a psychologist, my legal and moral duty is to protect confidentiality, but I also have a duty under the law to the wider community and to myself, if there is harm, threat of harm, or neglect.
