Fees

Insurance

Insurance may not cover marriage or couples counseling because it doesn’t consider relationship issues as medical problems. Cardinal Point Counseling is not in-network with any insurance carriers. Insurance typically focuses on diagnosing and treating individual mental health conditions rather than addressing relationship dynamics. Some providers may assign a mental health diagnosis to one person and treat them as the primary client, but this approach may not fully address the needs of both partners or the overall relationship. Cardinal Point Counseling takes a holistic approach, viewing the entire relationship as the client. We use techniques like the Gottman method and Emotionally Focused Therapy that are non-pathologizing and aren’t specific to an individual’s mental health condition.

The Couple is the Relationship

While some providers may only focus on how a relationship affects a diagnosed condition, Cardinal Point Counseling believes in a holistic approach to help couples achieve their goals. It’s recommended to discuss with your provider what it means to be covered by insurance for relationship counseling and how it could impact your treatment. Alternatively, finding a provider aligned with your insurance coverage may be helpful. Cardinal Point Counseling operates on a self-pay basis, believing it aligns ethically with their brand of couples therapy and allows for a higher standard of care than insurance requires. I no longer send Superbills to clients for out-of-network reimbursement because few people meet their OON deductible and it often doesn’t make sense, and more importantly, submitting Superbills puts your care in the hands of insurance companies.

There are Multiple Items to Consider

Using insurance for mental healthcare may not always be cost-effective due to high deductibles and co-pays. Some plans have a $4-6k deductible for mental health care. Other considerations include the need for a mental health diagnosis, session limitations, and the requirement of a referral. Privacy and personal control over healthcare decisions are important factors to consider. Insurance companies may seek to dictate treatment options and duration, potentially impacting long-term implications such as life insurance approval or acceptance into certain professions. Opting for self-payment eliminates the need for a diagnosis on the record unless specifically requested. Cardinal Point Counseling chooses self-pay to dedicate more time to clients without administrative tasks tied to insurance.

For these reasons, Cardinal Point Counseling does not accept insurance, aiming to provide a higher standard of care. The cancellation policy includes a full fee for cancellations without 24 hours’ notice, with exceptions for clients who cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice receiving half off their next appointment if attended within seven days. If the counseling service ever cancels with less than 24 hours notice, the next session is free. Fees for different options are provided below.

“Good Faith Estimate” Law

Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for items and services, if so requested. Some interpretations are that this estimate is also required if not requested and before your first visit (most recent interpretations).

Estimate Details

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of up to 12 months of services. The number of sessions you desire is at your discretion, and you can stop treatment at any time with 24 hours notice (or you may not reschedule future appointments). If you ever receive a bill that is more than $400 above the stated estimate, you have the right to dispute the charge. In fact, if a bill is $.01 higher than you expect, please ask us why. Please realize that an estimate is only an estimate, and the total cost of therapy services is based on many variables involved. The cost depends on how often and frequently you want to attend, what your goals are, how much work you do outside of sessions, how well certain evidence-based interventions work for you, what happens in your life between starting and finishing counseling, how much is known at the point you want an estimate, and a variety of other factors. A good faith estimate is not a contract and does not obligate the client to receive any treatments they do not want.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.