FEES/INSURANCE
ALL THERAPY AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES ARE SELF PAY ONLY. THE ONLY INSURANCE COMPANY IN-NEWTORK IS WASHINGTON L & I.
**Although the cost of assessment and therapy can be challenging for some families, accurate assessments and effective therapy often changes lives. These services should be seen as an investment in yourself/your child. Dr. Gerdin can provide you with referrals to providers who are in-network with insurance if needed.**
BILLING INSURANCE OUT-OF-NETWORK
Dr. Gerdin can work as an out-of-network provider with your insurance company. Most insurance plans pay for a significant portion of my fee. In this arrangement, you would pay Dr. Gerdin (directly) at the time of service—depending on your insurance company and plan, you can often be reimbursed for much of the treatment expenses. To be reimbursed by your insurance company, Dr. Gerdin’s staff can mail/email you a “superbill” that you would submit to your insurance company. His staff can give you more information about documentation and give you advice on how to check your insurance’s Out-of-Network mental health coverage.
METHODS OF PAYMENT
Most credit cards are accepted, including health credit/savings accounts (such as HSA, FRA, and HRA’s). Paypal, checks, and cash are also acceptable methods of payment.
FEES
Dr. Gerdin’s fees for therapy and assessments are on-par with psychologists who have similar education, training, and specialty. Please contact him for fees for treatment/therapy. The typical fee for an in-depth assessment is between $1000-$3000, depending on the time required for the assessment. Every person is unique so Dr. Gerdin tailors an assessment to meet your needs. Before beginning treatment, you have the right to receive a good faith estimate of the expected fees for service. Please call Dr. Gerdin to ask questions.
*PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Gerdin must include any psychiatric/medical diagnoses on a superbill that you would submit to your to your insurance company if you choose to use your Out-Of-Network benefits.
WHY IS DR. GERDIN NOT IN-NETWORK WITH INSURANCE?
All of the following reasons are born out of his personal experience in clinical practice:
Firstly, insurance companies OFTEN do not allow providers to complete extensive psychological evaluations since they are not viewed as “medically necessary” by their insurance company. As a result, patients using insurance may not get the service and answers that they need. Insurance can and does restrict the amount of therapy sessions that patients receive. Dr. Gerdin is committed to providing you with wholistic care and wants to give you the time that you need.
Secondly, insurance companies sometimes deny services retroactively, leaving clients with large, unexpected bills. Alternatively, they may demand that payments (already made) be returned because the insurance company does not believe that certain diagnoses “need” to be treated. Billing technicalities also cause this regrettable circumstance.
Thirdly, your confidentiality is compromised when using insurance. Insurance companies require that providers send them your psychiatric diagnosis and sometimes want to review therapy notes to see if therapy services are still required. Dr. Gerdin has had many client’s whose insurance companies have been victims of data breaches—it is unnerving that your therapy information (over and above billing and personal information) may be in the wrong hands.
Fourthly, some government, public safety, and transportation companies/agencies make hiring choices that take your past psychiatric diagnoses into account. Insurance companies can also review your mental health diagnoses as they calculate premiums for certain policies. These situations have negatively affected some of Dr. Gerdin’s clients using commercial insurance in the past. Therefore, some people choose to receive services where diagnoses do not need to be given in the course of treatment.