Fees

We take a lot into consideration when setting our rates. We try to provide rates according to the current going rates of other practices that do business in the areas where our offices are in. Another thing we consider is that each of the therapists at LATN are also Specialists in an array of different areas, yet we don’t charge extra for Specialty therapy. We try to provide a balanced, reasonable rate for everyone.

Each person’s rate is usually determined after the initial consult. Fees are payable at the beginning of each session thereafter or determined by a payment arrangement that will be discussed with your therapist.

LA Therapy Network offers negotiable fees so that money doesn’t have to be an obstacle to obtaining the help you need. Please note that we do have a limit as to the lowest payment we can offer clients. We will negotiate a fee during the first session. If we cannot agree upon a fee that is reasonable for both of us, you will be referred to a therapist who will be able to help you.

 

Payments

Your first appointment (initial consultation) is $65. We offer this so that you can see if the LATN clinician is a good match for you. It gives you a chance to shop around for the right therapist for you. While each of the LATN clinicians have a lot of experience and are specialists, she may not be the right person for your particular needs. Because of this, we believe an initial consultation is the best way for both you to determine this.

If we do agree to enter into a business relationship, we will establish a fee at the time of the initial consultation. We accept checks, cash, money orders, and credit/debit cards: Visa, MasterCard and Discover. Most of LATN clients opt to pay for therapy using their debit or credit cards. We utilize a service called Therapy Partner which enables us to accept credit and debit cards. It is an excellent and safer method of payment and you will always have access to your statement on-line. If you chose to pay by check, cash or money order, then your payment is expected at the time of service, at the beginning of the session.

If something happens to change your financial status during our therapy, please your therapist know right away so that something can be worked out to accommodate your needs as they change. If for some reason you lose the ability to pay for therapy, inform your therapist right away. We may be able to work out something with you. It doesn’t necessarily mean you will have to stop treatment. It depends on your individual situation and our ability to accommodate you.

If you are unable to attend a session, you will charged for the missed session unless you are able to make up the session later during the same week. If you are out because of a major illness or injury and have to miss your appointment, you won’t be charged. If you are going on a vacation, we ask you to inform us 2 weeks before you leave or you will be charged for the missed appointment. You are paying for our time and services. This policy helps keep the continuity of therapy services.

LATN offers payment plans for some clients. We do this so that you can seek therapy services with even if you cannot afford the full fees. We can discuss this with you when we meet if we need to do this. We also offer this for emergency services so you don’t have to worry about contacting us in an emergency. We want to be accessible for you! Within reason of course.

We do not charge for crisis calls, unless the call lasts over 20 minutes. You will then be charged for the call in 15 minute increments. LATN charges time and a half for emergency sessions that fall outside of the individual therapists’ normal business hours, and double on Sundays unless it is the therapist’s usual practice day.

If you request a copy of your mental health records, you will charge be charged for for the time and the cost of the materials. If you would like a copy of your mental health records, for personal information, we can offer you a summary of your records if you prefer.

Insurance And Payment for Therapy: LA Therapy Network does NOT accept insurance, but if you have a PPO insurance and want to submit a claim to your own insurance company, we do automatically provide you with a Superbill. A Superbill is a monthly record of your charges. If you want to submit this to your insurance company, it is important to let us know so we add a diagnosis to the Superbill. We typically will NOT do this for your protection.

 

Insurance

As highlighted above, LA Therapy Network does NOT accept insurance. LA Therapy Network therapists are fee-for-service providers. As managed care providers continue to demand more out of providers, we are left in a position that makes providing effective mental health services difficult. Managed care companies are asking therapists to limit their services to the most “cost effective approaches.” This sounds reasonable right? It is absolutely reasonable, unless you happen to be one of those people who needs therapy to help you with issues that are more serious than a phobia of transitory depression. “Quick Fix Therapies” are appropriate for some issues, but most people who seek out therapy are not looking for the quick fix.

Many people go to therapy because they are suffering and want the type of help that requires more time and more in-depth psychological services than is allowed under most health insurances. In this case, most people start therapy, use their allotted number of sessions and then decide if they want to continue to see their therapist by paying out of pocket. If you have a good relationship with your therapist. This is very common, however, what if you cannot afford to pay the new higher rate? Your therapist may not be able to afford to see you at a lower rate. You end up being referred to another therapist or your therapist has to take a big pay cut to continue to see you, and most of us cannot afford to do this.

In addition, payment for therapy is a motivator. If you are paying for your therapy out of pocket, you are ensuring that you are putting in that amount of work. As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” If you are paying a $20 co-pay, you are more likely to put in $20 worth of effort on your part. If you are paying $150/session, you are more likely to do $150 worth of work.

In addition, the therapists at LA Therapy Network are all licensed therapists with specialty training. Each of us have done a lot of additional training to ensure that we are providing a higher standard of care to our clients. However, insurance companies won’t recognize the specialized therapies that we offer most of the time. That means we loose the investment that we have put in. To ensure that we are getting the best service providers, we don’t take insurance.

We want to do therapy in accordance with our specialized training and according to what we feel will be the most helpful to you. Insurance companies are becoming very restrictive of what types of therapies they will cover. Paying a fee-for-service fee gives us the freedom to offer you a wider range of services and remain true to the quality of service we can offer. It gives both of us options.

It is our belief that the restrictions placed upon providers by insurance companies have interfered in the practice of therapy. Sometimes clients quality of service is compromised because of these limitations. served overall, despite our best efforts.