[seventyeight]

if you'd like to explain further, please do so!

[Miswimmy1]

i dont know if my t offers it... regardless, i have AMAZING insurance. I only pay about 15$ a session (which is extremely cheap considering that my t works in a private practice and has both a PHd in psychology and a MA in social work)... and the fact that i see her 3x a week. so I dont think the sliding scale would be needed...

Wow misswimmy i want your insurance!!!

My t offered a sliding scale and i accepted. And i can barely afford it as it is. Of course, we talk for hours and hours and hours, that probably has something to do with it.Plus long distance phone charges to talk overseas with her-- thats what really eats up my $$$

[critterlady]

My insurance covers unlimited visits with a $25 co-pay, so there really isn't a need for him to use a sliding scale. There was a question once about whether the insurance company would agree that 2 sessions/week were necessary and he told me then that if they didn't cover it, he would just charge me the co-pay amount for the second visit and not his usual fee.

[Screenager]

I don't think she'd do this, but I don't need it anyway since my insurance pays everything.

[Fixated]

Yes. And I really hate it at times. Money is an equalizer in this setup. My T gets to pretend altruism exists and point to this as proof.

Mine insurance is like Critterlady, so it has never came up.

But I would if the need arose.

[stopdog]

I would accept or ask if I had a reason to do so.

[2or3things]

When I started T, I payed her standard rate, and did so for about 2 1/2 years. When I moved from 1 to 2 sessons/week, she offered me a lower rate. I don't know if that's her standard practice or if she did it because she knew I wouldn't have been able to afford her regular rate twice/week. When she offered the lower rate, she said it's something she often does when clients increase their number of sessions.

If it matters at all, my T doesn't accept insurance. I pay out of pocket and file separately, and I get back about 40% or so of what I pay her. The reimbursement is based on the number of visits, not how much I pay her, so I get back the same amount per visit that I got when I was paying her the higher rate.

[pbutton]

I don't have a reason to accept sliding scale. I can safely assume that I wouldn't accept it. I have a problem with rejecting all help. It's one of the reasons I'm in therapy.

[childofyen]

I'm on a sliding scale at the agency where I see my T. This is something they offer for uninsured clients. My financial situation changed earlier this year and I had to tell my T that I could no longer afford the rate. She happily petitioned the agency to score me a lower than typical rate so I could keep going. Sometimes I do feel guilty for accepting this help but I believe my T when she tells me that she did it because I am dedicated and in need of therapy. I do sometimes spend money on things like eating out, but I make sacrifices in other areas of my life so that I can do that, just like I make sacrifices to see T. One day my situation will improve and I will be able to make a donation to the agency so other people can have the same opportunity. In the meantime, it's important that I keep myself healthy and going to T helps me do that.

[healed84]

No need for a sliding scaled b/c like somebody else here I have unlimited visits for $25 co-pay.. So, if offered I wouldn't take it right now.. If the finicial situation change, I may.

[Fixated]

Sounds like a lot of you are in-network, so your therapists have agreed to whatever rate the insurance company determines?

I went out of network for a specialist. I think my T usually charged $150/hour. My insurance reimburses her something stupid like $65, and I pay $25 co-ins. I was only paying $20, but my insurance company recently lowered their reimbursement rate, so I offered to pay more.

[murray]

I am one of the lucky ones who is covered with just a small copay each visit. My finances are going to be somewhat tenuous in the very near future and so I am a bit concerned about meeting deductibles in the new year so I may be in the position where I will need to ask my T for some extra time to pay. It is making me feel sill to think about that. But I know that he will say it is fine based upon comments he has made over the years about not letting money stand in the way of a hard working long term client getting the help they need. I really wish money never had to enter into the dynamics.

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by Fixated

My T gets to pretend altruism exists and point to this as proof.

I would really hate it if the therapist used the situation against me. That would be rough.

I'm not currently on a sliding scale, but I have been in the past and was SO grateful for therapists being willing to work with my financially. I never felt I received lesser care or attention, and it allowed me to continue in my therapy when otherwise I would have had to stop. Sliding scale fees are pretty common with therapy, so I hope you will avail yourself of this opportunity.

[Nightlight]

I am, although my therapist made me offer her a price I could pay, and I offered a bit higher than what is sustainable for me I think. It's a really hard topic and it does bring up big feelings. I put off getting my hair cut once this year because I didn't feel like I should be spending that money on myself. I felt guilty when I finally did get it done, and mentioned it to T after a couple of weeks. She was happy for me though, and she thinks I should have money to spend on clothes and so on too.

It took me months to ask her to see me for less, because she said I had to ask her, and she left it at that. I was too ashamed to bring it up. I think when I did, it might have been one of the first times I'd cried much in front of her. My T also has recently said that she'd be willing to see me for less. I don't think they look at these money issues in quite the same way we do.

[Sunne]

I only get 7 sessions a year covered. I pay out of pocket and T sometimes gives me free sessions.

[ECHOES]

I pay completely out of pocket. Between my first and second visit to my T, my insurance through my employer changed to a catastrophic policy and she was no longer covered. She offered a reduced rate because of that, then lowered the rate even more later, then when I wanted to increase my sessions to twice a week, she lowered her per session fee again. She lists her fee as $125 per visit and she also lists (on her professional association site) that she offers sliding scale. I currently pay $50 per visit when I see her twice per week, $70 if I see her just once. I pay for all sessions that I cancel (my decision).

I have times (like now) when I feel really guilty about it, but she offered and I accepted. When I'm feeling guilty, I remind myself that if she wants to or needs to raise her fee she can do that at any time.

I love seeing her twice a week, but would probably have to go back to once a week if she did decide to raise her fee.

[critterlady]

Originally Posted by Fixated

Sounds like a lot of you are in-network, so your therapists have agreed to whatever rate the insurance company determines?

I went out of network for a specialist. I think my T usually charged $150/hour. My insurance reimburses her something stupid like $65, and I pay $25 co-ins. I was only paying $20, but my insurance company recently lowered their reimbursement rate, so I offered to pay more.

My T has a really good negotiated rate from my insurance company. He gets $150/hour ($125 from ins and $25 from me), which is almost twice as much as my pdoc gets for the same length visit. I have no idea how he managed that - my insurance company is usually really stingy with providers.

Didn't have to use it before she moved because insurance covered part of it. But now that she's out of state insurance no longer covers it so we negotiated an amount I can afford.

[eskielover]

The agency I go to has government funding (grant money I think) that they use to offer the sliding scale & also, they allow us to petition beyond that if we can't afford the sliding scale. I started going every other week even with the reduced sliding scale...then when DBT started, it was going to be that reduced cost every week on top of the therapy & I had to quit the DBT after the first section.....couldn't afford it......I was shocked when they offered to wave the cost of the DBT so I could come back.......wow, couldn't turn down that offer because I was really hooked on the DBT & had learned so much just that first section.

DBT will be over after this section I'm in right now.....after 2 years....will feel lost....but they have a more advanced group for those of us who have gone through 2 cycles of the DBT so won't be totally lost.

Each year I have to fill out a new financial report for the reduced rates. Just another form that needs filled out at the end of the year....but hay, it's worthwhile to get the discount.

[Raindropvampire]

My co-pay is just $10 so not too much of a hardship plus my insurance has a "health bank" of $500 to help cover co-pays. I figure save the sliding scale for people that need it and let the doctor make their money off people like me that have decent insurance

[WikidPissah]

thankfully I have good insurance...but my premiums are high, so it evens out in the end.

XT offered to forego co-pays when I was going thru a rough patch, but I ended up cutting back on sessions in stead. I have a problem accepting help.

[wotchermuggle]

If I have a second session within the same week, I get it for less $. Otherwise, no, I pay out pocket at the prescribed price.