Insurance

TRICARE and Employee Assistance Programs

I am a TRICARE Overseas Program (TOPS) provider and also contracted with a few Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) in Japan. Please let me know at the beginning of our work together what coverage you currently have. Please let me know if your coverage ever changes.

Important things to know and consider before using insurance:

  • Insurance/EAP reimbursement requires that certain information about your situation be documented and stored in their records.
  • This information may be kept indefinitely and could affect you in ways that are difficult to predict.
  • Insurance companies may request access to session notes or summaries, meaning they could review sensitive details about our work together.
  • Involving insurance introduces a third party into the therapy process, which can influence how often you attend, what we focus on, and what you feel comfortable discussing, knowing that records might be reviewed.
  • If you have any concerns about privacy, the involvement of insurance, or how this could affect our work together, please bring them up so we can talk through your options.

Japanese National Health Insurance

The services I provide are not be covered by Japanese National Health Insurance.

Other Insurance

If you have other insurance coverage please understand that I do not work with your insurance. This means:

  • I do not have an agreement with your insurance company
  • I cannot bill your insurance on your behalf
  • You will need to pay out-of-pocket at the beginning of each session

You may be able to get fully or partially reimbursed by your insurance by submitting a superbill to your insurance company. I’m happy to assist in your reimbursement, but there are some limitations:

  • You will need to tell me at the start of our work together that you will need a superbill; I will not provide superbills retroactively.
  • I will not submit superbills to your insurance on your behalf
  • I will not submit records to your insurance on your behalf
  • I will not communicate directly with your insurance
  • I cannot guarantee reimbursement for a few reasons:
    • I’m not contracted with your insurance and do not know their requirements for reimbursement
    • My documentation may not meet their standards
    • Therapy may not be covered under your plan
    • The reasons you are seeking therapy may not be covered by your plan

Other important things to consider before filing your superbill for reimbursement:

  • Reimbursement requires that certain details about the focus of our work be documented and stored in your insurance records.
  • Once stored, this information may remain in their system indefinitely and could have future implications that are difficult to predict.
  • By submitting a superbill, your insurance becomes a third party in our work together. This means:
    • They may request to review documentation about our sessions at any point, even after our work ends.
    • If you decline to provide records when requested, they may deny reimbursement or request repayment for prior reimbursements.
    • If you do provide records, they may store sensitive details from those documents.
  • They may deny reimbursement or request repayment if:
    • Documentation does not meet their internal standards.
    • They disagree with the frequency of sessions or the reasons for which you are seeking support.
    • Superbills are submitted after their filing deadlines.
  • Information in your documentation may be updated over time, which can affect future reimbursement decisions.
  • Receiving reimbursement for one superbill does not guarantee that future claims will be approved.
  • Insurance companies do not reimburse for late fees, and superbills will not be issued for those charges.

Some recommendations:

  • Check with your insurance prior to starting therapy to better understand what will and what won’t be reimbursed. Here may be some helpful questions to ask your insurance:
    • What percentage is reimbursed for an out-of-network master’s level, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist?
    • What’s my deductible and has it been met?
    • Is there a maximum fee that is allowed per session?
    • How many sessions are allowed each calendar year?
    • Is there a maximum number of sessions that are allowed?
  • Never pay more than you can afford as reimbursement is never guaranteed
  • If you decide to submit a superbill, it’s best to submit them regularly so if there are any claim denials, you will know sooner and can better understand your out-of-pocket costs
  • Consider how you might feel knowing your insurance could review details from our sessions and keep that information in their records.
  • Involving insurance introduces a third party into the therapy process, which can influence how often you attend, what we focus on, and what you feel comfortable discussing, knowing that records might be reviewed.
  • Please talk with me about any concerns you may have about insurance and our work together