Counseling & Insurance Reimbursement

Are There Insurances Companies that Pay for Counseling?

We have providers who gladly accept:

1. Anthem / Carelon
2. Piedmont Community Health Plan
3. Optima / Sentara
4. Aetna / Meritain
5. CIGNA
6. Medicare (Not associated with any Advantage Plan)

Chuck Rodgers, Rick Ouimet, and any Resident are not “in-network” counselors with any insurance plans.

Wyndhurst Counseling Center is very insurance friendly. Should you wish to utilize your insurance benefits for counseling, we will be more than happy to provide for you the appropriate paperwork, including a description of the counseling service, date of the counseling service, the counseling session code, the counseling diagnosis code, and the tax identification number of your counselor in order to facilitate your insurance claim. You will receive two copies of the counseling session documentation. One copy is for your records and one is for you to submit to the insurance company so that they may submit a reimbursement check directly to you. It will help you to check with your insurance company prior to our first meeting to understand your outpatient counseling benefits. You will want to ask your insurance company about:

• Coverage for “outpatient counseling services.”
• The percentage of reimbursement for an “out of network counselor” including any deductible amount.

What are Reasons to Not Use Insurance to Pay for Counseling?

A number of factors led us to believe that not directly billing insurance companies may allow for a more positive therapeutic counseling relationship in addition to improved clinical services. Being “out-of-network”:

• Enhances client privacy within the counseling setting.
• Promotes a focus on health and strength rather than an excess focus on pathology. Insurance companies require that the client be given a mental illness diagnosis for counseling services.
• Enhances client choice and power within counseling.
• Eliminates confusion over billing for the counseling itself. There are no guessing games regarding what the insurance company will or will not cover; there are no surprises when an insurance company rejects payment for previously approved counseling services, and there are no deductibles.
• Reduces potential future problems that could impede the use of other counseling benefits (e.g., acquiring life insurance after an episode of depression that has been resolved).
  • Reduces the potential for future problems of increased cost of monthly insurance premiums (e.g., once a mental illness diagnosis is given for counseling, the insurance company may rate the client on a different “tier.”
  • Because of a diagnosis given within counseling, we know one lady who was labeled a “tier three” vs. a “tier one” just because of the information the insurance company acquired. In addition to this she says, “I was also denied life insurance.”
  • Because of a diagnosis, given by a counseling professional, a local independent business owner said to us, “I wish I knew then what I know now…If I knew that getting that diagnosis would increase the cost of my insurance coverage, I would have gladly paid for the price for the counseling out of my own pocket…I get so angry each month when I have to write out that check to pay for my monthly premiums!”

What Types of Payment are Accepted for Counseling?

Payment for counseling is due at the end of each session and you may pay by cash, personal check, or by credit card.