Welcome to Laura Alcantar Counseling

Insurance Options: In-Network

If you have Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Aetna, or Optum/United Healthcare insurance, I am an “in-network” provider for you.  Each insurance company has its own reimbursement rates for your counseling sessions, which is called a “contracted rate”.  Every insurance plan is different; some clients pay a co-insurance or copay (a fixed amount you pay for each session cost), some individuals have to pay the entire contracted rate up until they meet their deductible (what you pay before your insurance company starts to cover any costs), and others have already met their deductible and may not need to pay anything for their counseling sessions. Because everyone’s insurance plan is different, it may be helpful for you to call the customer service phone number on the back of your insurance card to determine exactly what your cost would be.  Fees and co-pays are due at the time of service. 

Insurance: Out-Of-Network

If your insurance carrier is not listed above, I am an out-of-network provider for you.  Some insurance companies offer out-of-network benefits, which reduces your out of pocket cost.  If you have out-of-network benefits with your insurance plan you can pay my published fee at the time of your counseling appointment and I will provide you with a detailed receipt called a “Superbill” that includes your session dates, amount billed and paid, and your diagnosis.  You may then submit your superbill to your insurance company for reimbursement.  If you do not have out-of-network benefits with your insurance plan, you may want to consider seeing me as a private pay client (see details below), or you can find an alternate provider who is in-network with your insurance company.  

Private Pay / Self Pay

If you do not have mental health benefits with your current insurance plan and/or you do not have insurance, you can be a “Private Pay” or “Self Pay” client.  This means that you simply pay my published rate for your counseling sessions.

My published rates are as follows:

• $165 for an initial 50-60 minute session/ CPT code 90791
• $150 for a 55-60 minute session/ CPT code 90837

No Surprises Act

In compliance with the No Surprises Act that went into effect January 1, 2022, healthcare providers are required to notify clients of their Federal rights and protections against “surprise billing.”  This Act is designed to protect patients from surprise bills for emergency services at out-of-network facilities or for out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, holding them liable only for in-network cost-sharing amounts. The No Surprises Act also enables uninsured patients to receive a good faith estimate of the cost of care. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) created an informational bulletin that summarizes the No Surprises Act and Good Faith Estimate, which you can access by clicking HERE.  If you plan to become a private pay/self pay client with me, I will provide you with a Good Faith Estimate that details the anticipated cost of your counseling.  Because it is impossible to accurately estimate the frequency and duration of therapy a client will need – especially after their first appointment – I encourage clients to refer to their fee agreement document that details the services I offer with the corresponding prices.  Therapy is a voluntary process and you may terminate your counseling at any time.

Cancellations / No Shows

This is a difficult topic for most small businesses that operate on a fee-for-service basis. Having mutual respect for time invested in the counseling process is important, as is mutually extending grace when something happens that prevents the appointment from taking place (e.g. illness, severe weather, childcare issues, etc.).  Please know that there is grace offered for emergencies that may arise; these policies are simply in place to set healthy boundaries with clients and to establish a mutual respect of time and services.  

If you need to cancel/change an appointment, please do so with at least a 24-hour notice.  This allows your reserved appointment time to be offered to others who are seeking services.   Please note you will be responsible for the full session fee of $150 if you cancel with less than a 24 hour notice and/or do not show up for your scheduled appointment. Please be aware that insurance companies do not reimburse for late cancellations and/or no show appointments.