As you may have heard, a new Federal law that took effect at the beginning of the year (2022). The No Surprises Act (N.S.A.) was enacted to protect patients and clients from unexpected, large bills for health or mental health services. This law requires that providers offer patients and clients a statement that details any activity for which the provider charges, so that the patients/clients can make a reasonably informed decision as to the cost of their care for a year.
This law applies to any patient or client who is not using insurance.
Therapy, however, is very much a collaborative work at Meeting Place Counseling, LLC, and the length of which will be largely dependent upon the client’s direction: how and how long the client wants to be seen as the two biggest factors, although the nature of the work the client wants to accomplish will also be a critical influence.
Every client who is not using insurance will be provided a form outlining information regarding (though not limited to): the client’s diagnosis (which might easily be a non-clinical/non-reimbursable); a statement regarding how the cost of therapy is dependent upon several factors and an estimated numerical cost for the year would be inappropriate, given the other mitigating considerations; a list of every action for which the practice charges clients (and when), including fee-per-session.
Essentially, unless a client incurs costs for reasons outside of a fee-per-session, the cost of therapy for a year will be the number of sessions in a year multiplied by the fee-per-session. Most clients at MPC do not incur costs outside of session fees.
Clients will be required to sign the form to state that they have received and understood the information applicable to the cost of their mental health care. If, over the course of the year, those costs change (for instance, if a client incurs an extra charge for an administrative reason), the client will be informed and given a new NSA contract to sign, stipulating as such.
If you have any questions about this, please contact your mental health provider.
Meeting Place Counseling LLC 