[cashart10]

So, my pdoc cost $300 for her initial visit and now I pay her $150 a session. Thankfully, times when I’ve had to see her weekly, my parents have helped. Now, to see the pdoc my daughter’s therapist recommended, I had to put a $160 deposit towards her late Oct appt and I will have to pay an additional $160 at the time of appt. This pdoc’s follow up appts are $199. He is worth it because he specializes in pediatrics and is apparently very good. Neither my pdoc or hers accepts insurance and many of them are doing this or are headed towards this. How in the hell do they expect people to afford this??!! I think it’s ridiculous!! Don’t I wish I made $320 an hour!

Have you tried appealing the charges with your insurance? When I was in school, the school's counseling center said they didn't accept insurance but that I could file an insurance appeal to get my insurance to cover it.

Not sure if you want to go that route, but that's an option.

[Wild Coyote]

It's very expensive, often, to have "private" pdocs.

I'd paid about the same for mine this year, out-of-pocket, about $4,000.00 so far this year. I have a high deductible. My pdoc takes insurance.

It's extremely expensive for families in need of multiple providers.

My pdoc had pointed out that she works a lot more than an hour for her hourly fee. I agree. pdocs often put in a lot of unpaid hours. I know she does!

I do not know how people are expected to afford care. It's both frustrating and scary!

Great topic!


WC

It is not fair, I agree. I think many psychiatrists (and often also psychologists, more than social workers), don't take insurance. I think part of the reason is because they don't make as much as other doctors and because some insurance providers won't pay them at parity with doctors in other medical fields. They tend to pay social workers a higher percent of their fees than psychologists with Ph.D.s, that obviously often charge more. Plus, I happen to live in a somewhat affluent area (though I'm not). Psychiatrists and psychologists can get away with not taking insurance.

My psychiatrist doesn't take my insurance, but luckily I do have "out of network" coverage. I pay notably more than my husband pays his "in network" psychiatrist. We're also lucky that we don't have maximum annual visit restrictions with our insurance. When we were insured under the insurance I had from my workplace there were.

My psychiatrist is quite unique. He doesn't require that I pay for every session at the very end of the session (and then have to submit a receipt to our insurance for us to be reimbursed for out of network amounts). He rather submits multiple sessions to my husband's insurance and then after he gets paid, he bills me for the remaining amounts. I like this arrangement, except he sends me the bill so infrequently, that the bill is ultra high. I generally see him every 3 weeks. There was one time he didn't bill me for a year. In previous years I'd actually ask "When are you sending me the bill, Dr. Z?" I really adore my psychiatrist, though. I've been seeing him for almost 15 years now. I will only change if/when he retires or we move. Then I'll try to get an in-network psychiatrist.

I'm very lucky that my medications are all available as generics. There were times in the past when most of my medications were only available in name brand. I don't recall exactly, but I think I was sometimes spending well over $300 per month just on medications. Maybe even close to $500. Now I spend about $30 total for seven different medications. The copays for a couple are only about $2 per month. Before a couple became available as generics, I did save some money using coupons. Anyone on name brand only meds should always look for coupons online. Always! The coupons apply even if you do have drug coverage.

For several years, I have made sure to go to a therapist that takes my insurance since my psychiatrist is out of network. I used to mostly only go to psychologists with Ph.D.s, but it is getting more and more difficult to find an available in-network psychologist. This time I had to choose a social worker. She's very good, but not as good as my last two psychologists with Ph.Ds.

[Movingon69]

I haven't run into problems (yet) with insurance and pdoc/therapist. But, geez, it feels like I'm always fighting with them over medicine. I understand now why some people don't take their medicines. Thankfully, when I'm not up for the fight my husband is a bulldog with insurances.

[ObiRonKenobi]

Wow...puts my problems in perspective. I have insurance with a network of providers. However, there is no "out-of-network" coverage, so I am stuck with two psych clinics, both not seeing patients until late November. I did luck out in that the insurance has tele-psychiatry available. I was able to meet with a psychiatrist, but he does not contract with my insurance except through tele-psychiatry. I am not sure how someone in crisis would navigate these horrible systems.

[scatterbrained04]

I pay $170 a visit to see my pdoc. It gets ridiculous expensive when I have to go a lot. Here lately I've been irritated because my pdoc keeps wanting to see me every month even though I'm pretty stable. I really don't have the money. I also have a pdoc for my son, but fortunately his is on our insurance plan. I don't know what I'd do if I had to pay for his too.

This post is really eye-opening to me. As many problems as there are with the VA system and all of its absurdities, it does shield me from this aspect. I’ve never had to make any decisions about my care based on cost. Sure I have to drive an hour one-way to get to the appt which is very inconvenient, and the wait times are often holy ridiculous, but I never have to balance my mental health against my budget. I didn’t even realize a pdoc appt cost this much. Thank you for this thread. Something is so very wrong with our health care system. There has to be a way to pay doctors what they deserve without gutting patients’ budgets.

[Guiness187055]

I pay $200 to see my pdoc so I feel your pain.

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by Guiness187055

I pay $200 to see my pdoc so I feel your pain.

OMG. What happens if they adjust a med, but it has a bad effect? Do you have to pay that amount to be seen for a new adjustment?