I have not used phone only for a psych appointment, but I had a telemedicine appointment that phone only. It was through Blue Cross Blue Shield and they have the option for phone or video appointments. Also, for my therapy appointment we used the platform Vsee which offers audio only (although I used video). I assume that means you don't need to have a camera to use the app? Maybe you could look into this as it is HIPAA compliant. I am not sure about the payment issue (and think it odd they brought it up), but if they are looking for a formal platform this could be an option maybe? Not that it's your job to figure that out, but in case you're interested: VSee Tutorial - How To Turn Off Your Video