Getting Started

All aspects of our comprehensive approach to DBT may not be covered by your insurance. Phone coaching is typically not part of covered treatment. Additionally, most mental health insurance benefits only cover the cost of one traditional 50-minute talk therapy session a week for a limited number of sessions. DBT is a much more intensive approach to therapy that involves weekly individual and group therapy sessions as well as phone coaching, our therapy team consultations, and family skills training groups. We want you to make the most of your available insurance benefits, but most insurers do not cover the cost of a comprehensive DBT plan.

Before beginning any extensive therapy plan, you should contact your insurer to ask about out-of-network coverage. When you call to ask about your insurance benefits, you should be prepared to ask your insurer the following questions:

Does my plan cover for out-of-network providers?

What is the percentage of my out-of-network benefits?

Does my insurance plan have mental health coverage?

Am I eligible for this coverage?

What are the limits for mental health coverage (number of sessions, length of sessions, group sessions, etc.)?

Do I have a deductible? Have I met that deductible?

Out of network benefits will typically cover the same aspects of care as in-network coverage. The difference is in how much of the cost they cover. In-network therapists agree to your insurance provider’s fees, but out of network therapists set their pricing based on local standards. If the therapist’s fees are higher than the insurer’s accepted pricing, you’ll be responsible to pay the difference between the two prices as well as your out of pocket percentage. We do our utmost to keep our pricing reasonable, so this difference should be minimal.

If navigating the complicated world of insurance benefits is a little overwhelming or your insurer doesn’t offer the right coverage for your therapy plan, private pay may be your best option. By paying out of pocket, you and your therapist have full control of your therapy plan. That means you can determine which therapist you see, how often you receive treatment, and what types of therapy approaches are used. Additionally, many insurers require a mental health diagnosis from an assessment psychologist in order to provide coverage for treatment. While assessment and evaluation can be beneficial to guide your treatment, it’s not always necessary for individuals to receive effective DBT treatment. Finally, some clients worry that a mental health diagnosis reported to their insurance provider will get back to their employers or loved ones, and the stigma associated with some diagnoses will adversely affect them. When you pay out of pocket, you are guaranteed the greatest level of privacy and confidentiality.

If you do want to use your insurance benefits, we will be happy to help you receive whatever coverage is available. In most cases, this means we’ll provide documentation for your insurer showing that you have received treatment with us. If you have issues filing these claims, please let us know. We may be able to help you.

One way that we’ve made the claims process easier is by using Mentaya. This service makes it fast and easy to apply for your insurance reimbursement. In addition to managing, tracking, and simplifying the reimbursement claims process, Mentaya makes it easy to duplicate claims, so submitting your request for weekly visits to our office is simple. Let us know if you have questions or want to learn more about Mentaya.