Payment
Hope Great Water Psychology Services’ practitioners are credentialed individually. Generally, Hope Great Water Psychology Services is considered an out-of-network provider. This means clients will pay for each session fully out-of-pocket, and then choose to submit their claim to their insurance company, if they have insurance.
If you have insurance and are interested in submitting for reimbursement, we have a relationship with Thrizer.com in order to support you in the process and ease the frustrations.
All fees are due at the time of service. You may submit a receipt to your insurance to get reimbursed to the level your insurance company allows.
Payment Method
A payment method will be collected prior to your intake. It will be stored in your HIPAA-compliant, secure medical record. This streamlines the process so you can stress less by taking something off your plate. Your stored payment method will be automatically used to collect payment prior to each session.
Hope Great Water Psychology Services accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover, and American Express.
Should you require help with payment plans, please reach out to us.
Cancellation and Missed Appointments
Hope Great Water Psychology Services also requires at least a 24-hour notice for cancellation. If you cancel less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled session, we reserve the right to implement our Cancellation & Missed Appointment policy. In general, the fee for a less than 24-hour cancellation is 25% of the self-pay fee. The fee for not attending the session without notice is 50% of the self-pay fee. These fees are at the discretion of Hope Great Water Psychology Services and are not generally refundable by insurance or FSA/HSA.
Discussion and Comparison of:
Self-Pay
Out-of-Network (Insurance)
In-Network (Insurance)
with
Common Terms Explained
Self-Pay
Choosing the self-pay option has you pay the full fee for the session at the time of the session. No muss—no fuss. This option allows for the most flexibility and simplicity in therapy. Afterward, if you wish, you can choose to submit the receipt to your insurance company as an out-of-network provider. The insurance company may then reimburse you per their process and policy. Therapy is reimbursable by most flexible Spending Accounts/Health Savings Accounts (FSA/HSA).
A sliding scale can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. Limited sliding scale clients are accepted and will be based on income levels and abilities to pay.
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Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) approved
No pre-authorization required
Full privacy — no insurance company involvement or diagnosis sharing.
Freedom to choose any therapist.
Flexibility in type and frequency of treatments
Simple — no billing or paperwork.
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You pay the full cost out-of-pocket
No reimbursement unless using HSA/FSA funds
Can limit access if therapy costs are high
Out-of-Network
(Insurance)
When the provider is not contracted with your insurance provider, and you submit a claim to your insurance company after paying the full amount at the time of session. Hope Great Water Psychology Services is currently considered out-of-network for all clients.
If you choose to pay via your insurance, Hope Great Water Psychology Services will collect the full fee at the time a service. Afterward, you may submit the receipt or superbill to your insurance company as an out-of-network provider. The insurance company may then reimburse you per their process and policy. Therapy is reimbursable by most flexible Spending Accounts/Health Savings Accounts (FSA/HSA).
Hope Great Water Psychology Services has an account with THRIZER to aid you in submitting your insurance paperwork and work on getting reimbursed from your insurance company. Talk with your therapist about getting signed up with Thrizer. Please find additional information about Thrizer here.
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You generally pay less overall
Greater choice of providers
Some insurance plans reimburse part of the cost
More flexibility in treatment type and length
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Higher upfront cost
Must submit your own claims for reimbursement
Reimbursement amount and timing vary by plan
May need to meet a deductible before reimbursement begins
In-Network
(Insurance)
If a provider is considered “In-Network,” they have contracted (i.e., are credentialed) with your insurance company to provide services at a reduced fee rate. If you choose to pay via your insurance, your therapist collects a copy of your insurance card and will charge your insurance for the session. You will be responsible for the copay and any co-insurance at the time of session. Therapy is reimbursable by most flexible Spending Accounts/Health Savings Accounts (FSA/HSA).
Hope Great Water Psychology Services is not currently credentialed with any insurance companies.
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Lower cost per session — you pay only a copay and possibly coinsurance
Predictable rates
Provider handles billing paperwork.
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You may need to satisfy a deduction prior to insurance benefits beginning
Limited to therapists in your network.
Less privacy — requires a diagnosis for coverage
Insurance may limit the number or type of sessions
Some in-network providers have long waitlists
Hope Great Water Psychology Services uses Thrizer.com as a way to support its clients to submit their out-of-network (OON) claims. This HIPAA compliant service makes it easy for you to pay less for therapy and get the services you desire.
How Thrizer Works
Thrizer is a payment and claims platform designed to simplify and streamline the process of using out-of-network therapy benefits — both for clients and therapists. The below is taken from Pricing | Thrizer.
This handout can also help guide your exploration of Thrizer.
For Clients
You sign up and link your insurance plan and payment method.
Thrizer instantly checks whether you have out-of-network (“OON”) benefits and shows a breakdown of what you might owe.
If the therapist uses Thrizer’s payment platform, then (once your deductible is met) you pay only your co-insurance or “copay-style” portion at the time of session. Thrizer “floats” the rest of the fee and waits for reimbursement from your insurance.
If your deductible is not yet met, you may pay the full session fee (or upload your superbill) and still use Thrizer’s claim-submission support.
Throughout, Thrizer handles claim submission, tracks status, and manages any denials—so you don’t have to deal directly with insurance paperwork.
Simple Tiered Pricing (Key Highlights)
For clients choosing superbill uploads (clients submit their own superbills): Free if still working toward deductible; after deductible there is a flat fee plus 1% of the superbill amount.
For clients choosing “Thrizer Pay” (pay the copay portion post-deductible while Thrizer floats the rest): 5% of therapist’s fee is charged.
There are no monthly fees, no minimums, and no hidden back-charges for either client or therapist if a claim is denied.
Common Terms Explained:
What is a copay?
A copay is a fixed fee paid by a client, as part of their contract with an insurance company, at the time of receiving a covered medical service. For example, if you visit your primary doctor, you might have to pay $20 at the time of the visit. Copays are usually NOT applied to the deductible. They are in addition to any coinsurance required.
What is a preauthorization?
A preauthorization, or a prior authorization, is an approval from an insurance company prior to performing services. These allow for the insurance company to review care to ensure the standards adhere to their policies and are allowed. If required, failure to obtain one may result in an insurance company denying a claim.
What is an allowed amount?
The allowed amount is the amount agreed upon between an insurance company and a provider for services performed. For example, if a service costs $350, the allowed amount may be $200. This means the combination of payments from copay, coinsurance, and insurance claim remittance (the insurance paying) will total $200.
What is a superbill?
A superbill is a detailed invoice or receipt used in medical billing providing a comprehensive breakdown of services provided by a provider. Generally, it is an itemized list which can be submitted for reimbursement from a payer, like an insurance company.
What is a network?
The “network” refers to whether the provider is in a contract with the insurance company as a preferred provider. Being “in network” simply means a provider DOES have a contract with an insurance company and is labeled a preferred provider. Being “out-of-network” means the provider DOES NOT.
What is insurance?
Insurance is a third party that has a contract with specific providers to perform mental health services. The client will pay a copay or a co-insurance with the rest of the allowed amount will be paid by the insurance company. Insurance companies often have specific guidelines regarding what is allowed or considered in treatment.
What is coinsurance?
Coinsurance is an amount of money paid out-of-pocket by the client as agreed upon by their contract with an insurance company. It is generally a fixed percentage a client must pay toward a covered claim after the deductible is met. It can range from 0% to 100% of the claim.
Example:
Let's say your health insurance plan's allowed amount for an office visit is $100 and your coinsurance is 20%.
If you've paid your deductible: You pay 20% of $100, or $20. The insurance company pays the rest.
If you haven't met your deductible: You pay the full allowed amount, $100.
What is a deductible?
A deductible is a fixed amount of money a client must pay toward their healthcare yearly until their insurance company starts paying for services. It can be as low as $0 to $5,000+. Once the deductible is met, the insurance begins covering the services at a set amount, which may or may not include paying a coinsurance to share the cost of care.
What is an explanation of benefits (EOB)?
An explanation of benefits (EOB) is a document provided by an insurance company after receiving services detailing the cost involved and summarizing what the insurance covers and what the client is financially responsible for.