Fees (all payments are due at the time of service) ~ Effective October 30, 2023
Private Pay
My private pay rate is $140 per client hour.
Insurance (not applicable for private pay)
I will file your insurance claims and collect your co-pay/ co-insurance during the session. If your insurance company denies claims for any reason after 30 days, you are responsible for paying the private pay fee of $140/hr. Attempts will be made to investigate the denial issue with the insurance company, but the client is ultimately responsible for paying the bill. Should the insurance company pay the bill later, you will be reimbursed.
Insurance Referrals
It is the client’s responsibility to know whether or not a referral is required to see me. If a referral is not obtained before the initial session and is needed, the insurance company will NOT pay for the session, and the cost will be forwarded to you as a private pay fee. My private pay fee is $140/hr.
Paperwork
Paperwork, including, but not limited to, reading and responding to e-mails, letters of verification to probation officers, Child Protective Services, etc., and/or other documentation will be assessed a $30 fee for every 10 pages. Please be aware I will NOT complete FMLA, short- or long-term disability, or Social Security Disability, and I do not write letters of recommendation for Emotional Support Animals. These forms need to be completed by your medical doctor.
Court-Ordered Counseling and Other Court Related Services
I will NOT accept insurance payments or file any insurance claims for any court-related services. You will be expected to pay the private pay rate of $140 per session. If I am subpoenaed to court, the fee is $400 per hour, whether I testify or not. Appropriate signed releases must be on file for me to communicate (written or otherwise) with your attorneys, probation officers, etc. If you need any letters or copies of information for court, the fee for this is $30 for every 10 pages. If you disagree with this, please check with your insurance carrier or your attorney for another provider. If it is determined during your counseling that your case is court-related, you will be asked to contact your insurance company for another provider, as I do not specialize in this area, and it is not listed on the insurance panels as an area of specialty.
Employee Assistance Program Benefits (EAP)
For EAP no-shows, most companies do not allow providers to charge the client. If I am allowed to bill you, a $100 late cancellation/no-show fee will be assessed. I will adhere to the EAP’s policies regarding this matter. For late cancellations/no-shows that cannot be billed, you will be discharged from my care and referred back to the EAP for further referral instructions.
Late-Cancellations/ No Shows
An appointment time has been set aside expressly for you. If you need to reschedule your appointment time, please notify me as soon as possible to minimize a longer wait time for your appointment. If you cancel your appointment LESS than 48 hours before the appointment time or do not come in for the appointment, you will be assessed a $100 late-cancellation/no-show fee. Additionally, a late-cancellation/no-show fee will be applied under, but not limited to, the following circumstances: “forgetting” you had an appointment scheduled, scheduling conflicts that require you cancel your appointment, major school exams (midterms or finals as these are most likely scheduled at the beginning of the semester), STARR testing (parents: please be aware of when your child(ren) are taking their STARR test as they are NOT allowed to leave campus even when they finish early), or choosing to do something important to you rather than attending your counseling appointment. I will try to give you as much notice as possible if I need to reschedule our appointment.
Reminders
Please be advised phone/text/e-mail reminders are ONLY a courtesy. YOU are ultimately responsible for your appointment date and times. Claiming that you did not receive a phone/text/e-mail reminder for your appointment is not a valid excuse for missing the appointment, and a no-show/ late cancel fee of $100 will be assessed. Additionally, if you need to miss an appointment, please call/text/e-mail me directly more than 48 hours before your appointment. Any cancellations made less than 48 hours before your appointment time will be assessed a late-cancellation/no-show fee.
Emergencies
There are unfortunate events that occur that are outside of your control, such as, but not limited to, intense thunderstorms and flooding, icy streets, car accidents, visits to the emergency room or urgent care, or an illness that would keep you out of work. I will not charge you a late cancellation/no-show fee under these circumstances.
Other Fee Issues
If your credit card is declined, you have 5 business days to take care of the balance before other collection methods are initiated.
PLEASE BE ADVISED ANY UNPAID DEBT WILL BE TURNED OVER TO A COLLECTION AGENCY
Method of Payment
To improve office efficiency, I require a credit card to be on file to guarantee payment of any outstanding balances beyond your payment at the time of service. This is a practice being used by many doctor’s offices and mental health therapists. A copy of the charge will be e-mailed to you.
I currently accept the following methods of payment: NO PERSONAL CHECKS ACCEPTED!
- Cash
- Credit Cards (Visa, Master Card, Discover, & American Express)
Credit card payments are processed through Stripe, and you will receive a receipt through e-mail from the office of: Sheri Collinsworth Cobarruvias, MS, LPC-S, NCC
“Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?” – Proverbs 17:16 (NIV)
