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Insurance FAQs

HIGHLIGHTS

  • You are responsible for knowing your insurance benefits, but we will try to help.

  • You should call your insurance company and ask if your provider is in network, whether the service is covered, and how much you have to pay out of pocket.

  • This still may not get you a completely accurate picture up front, but it may get you close to predicting your likely out-of-pocket costs.

  • If your insurance company does not pay us, you are responsible for payment. 

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Health insurance is confusing and sometimes frustrating. We do our best to help support our clients, however, we are not health insurance professionals, so we cannot give you official information or advice about your health insurance benefits. We offer the following information based on our experience with health insurance companies. You should verify directly with your insurance whether the services you seek at Appalachian Counseling Center will be covered.

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Your coverage is a contract between you and your health insurance company. We have no control over which services your insurance company will cover or how much you must pay out of pocket for services. 

Are services at Appalachian counseling center covered by my health insurance?

In general, if your provider is in your network and your visit meets medical necessity guidelines, your services should be covered. Because insurance plans can change, we verify benefits just prior to your appointment rather than when you make your appointment. If you want to know your benefits sooner, we encourage you to call them.

 

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that the quote of benefits was correct or that your insurance will pay what they have said that they will pay. In fact, insurance companies tell us every time we call them that a quote of benefits is not a guarantee of payment and that payment decisions are made when the claim is processed (i.e., sometimes weeks or even months AFTER your appointment).

 

In other words, even if your insurance tells us that you will only have to pay a $25 co-payment, they can still deny the claim or decide to apply the entire bill to your deductible later when they process the claim, resulting in you having to pay much more. Unfortunately, we have no control over what portion of your bill your insurance company will pay and cannot predict with 100% accuracy how they will pay the claim. 

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We try to give every psychological testing patient an estimate of what their costs could be if your insurance company does not process their claims as anticipated. If you do not receive one at your first appointment, please ask. 

how do i find out if services will be covered?

While we do try to verify benefits as a courtesy, healthcare providers are not required to verify patient benefits and eligibility with insurance companies. We highly recommend that you contact your health insurance company prior to your appointment with us or any other healthcare provider and ask the following questions:

 

  • Is Appalachian Counseling Center considered to be in-network under my mental health benefits?

  • I am seeing Appalachian Counseling Center for (therapy, psychological testing, etc.); is this a covered benefit?

  • Do I have to pay a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible for this service? How much?

  • Is pre-authorization required for this service? If so, how do I get preauthorized?

  • Are tele-therapy services covered?

 

Information you receive from your insurance company is still not a guarantee that they will pay; you still have to meet medical necessity guidelines. For example, if you are diagnosed with a learning disorder at your evaluation and your insurance does not cover that diagnosis, your claim will not be paid and you must pay out of pocket. We cannot know what your diagnosis will be until we meet with you. Psychological testing can be expensive, so you may wish to consider whether you can pay the balance if your insurance company decides not to cover it. 

 

Some insurance companies use a separate company for mental health benefits. Ask your insurance company whether this is the case with your policy and whether your clinician must be in network with that company for services to be covered.​

Why am i getting a bill months after my appointment?

We submit insurance claims quickly, but your insurance company may take a month or more to process your claim. If your claim is denied, we contact the insurance company on your behalf to try to resolve the claim. If the insurance company asks for more information or sends the claim back for reprocessing, it can take another several months! On rare occasions, it has taken more than six months to get a claim finalized, and only then can we send you a bill. 

What if i can't pay the amount that the insurance applied to my deductible?

If your insurance company applies payment for services to your deductible, that means that we did not get paid, and you must pay that amount directly to us. Per our contracts with insurance companies, we cannot forgive that balance. Payment is expected when the services are rendered (ie deductibles, co-payments and co-insurances). Unpaid bills are subject to collection. We offer payment plans on a case by case basis if you request one. Please note that we are always willing to work with you, but you must communicate with us. 

What if i have more questions about my mental health benefits?

We will help you in any way we can, including filing claims, helping you appeal denied claims, and even contacting your insurance company on your behalf when we can. Please understand, however, that the best source of information about your benefits is your health insurance company. We recommend that you write down the date you called, note the name of the representative with whom you spoke, write down everything the representative told you, and get a reference number. This information may help if the claim is later denied or underpaid. 

 

We hope that this information has been helpful!

Appalachian is in-network with many insurances:

Aetna,  Aetna Better Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield (Highmark), Blue Cross Blue Shield FED, Caresource, Cigna Evernorth, Curalink, Health Smart, PEIA, The Health Plan, Medicare, Tricare,  UMR, UMWA Health and Retirement Insurance Plan, United Healthcare, Unicare, WVMedicaid

For those without insurance: Appalachian offers very low cost services are available with student interns that receive superior training and supervision. We also offer Straight Pay options too. 

Call us at 681.404.MTNZ (6861) or simply fill out this form and we’ll help you with your next step.

As a courtesy to our office as well as to those patients who are waiting to schedule with the clinician/life coach, please give us at least 24 hours notice to avoid the NO SHOW/LATE CANCELLATION FEE

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

At Appalachian Counseling Center, we strive to make your pathway to mental wellness as seamless as possible. If you are considering utilizing an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), our dedicated insurance team is here to assist. We will verify your eligibility and confirm acceptance of your EAP, ensuring that you can make full use of the benefits available to you. We are proud to accept up to FIVE (5) approved EAP sessions, which can be a pivotal step in your mental health journey. Should you need further assistance beyond these sessions, we can help you transition to using your personal insurance coverage, ensuring continued support without interruption. At Appalachian Counseling Center, your mental health is our priority.

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