FEES & POLICIES

Fees & Insurance

Therapy is a commitment of time, energy, and financial resources.

Lake Forest Wellness uses a fee-for-service model. We do not accept any insurance, but we encourage you to check with your insurance provider as you may have out-of-network benefits that offer reimbursement. If you have health insurance, it is important for you to verify your mental health benefits so you understand how much your insurance provider will reimburse you prior to your appointment.

We provide you with a monthly superbill that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. Any reimbursement from your insurance provider will be made directly to you. If necessary, we can provide you with the CPT service code in advance to help you find out the reimbursement rate from your insurance provider.

Our decision to not accept insurance was a thoughtful and intentional choice, given the specialized services we provide. Insurance providers can dictate parameters of treatment and Lake Forest Wellness wants to ensure the flexibility needed to deliver the highest quality of care to you. Our goal is to give you the most individualized and effective treatment possible based on our specific expertise.

New Patients

During the initial phone consultation, we will talk about what you are hoping to achieve in therapy, and who in our practice would be the best fit for you. If you choose to proceed, we will schedule the initial intake session where you will have the opportunity to meet with the recommended Therapist.

Our therapists value close collaboration with others to ensure an individualized experience and continuity of care. With your written consent we can communicate with other providers, parents, family members, and loved ones to best support your needs. We charge for these additional professional services, and break down the hourly cost if we work for periods of less than one hour. Other billed services include telephone conversations lasting longer than 15 minutes, travel to and from meetings, participation in meetings with authorized individuals, preparation and review of records or treatment summaries, and time spent performing any other service you may request.

Lake Forest Wellness accepts all major forms of payment, including cash, checks, credit cards and HSA debit cards. Payment is processed at the time of service.

Payment

You are responsible for payment. In order to receive services, a valid credit card is required to be on file. Payment is processed at the time of service. If you wish to pay by cash, check or HSA, you must make arrangements with the Office Manager prior to your first session. However, a valid credit card must be on file in order to book an appointment. If paying by cash, check or HSA card, we will not charge the credit card on file at the time of service, unless there is a problem with that payment method. All arrangements regarding payment must be agreed upon by both parties, and handled before services are rendered. This information is also included in the Consent For Service Form.

Instead of a receipt of payment, our standard practice is to send you a Superbill monthly that lists out your appointments and can be used for potential reimbursement from your insurance provider. The Superbill is delivered via our HIPAA-compliant patient portal.

Patients Under 18

One parent or guardian must be responsible for all payments. Whichever parent/guardian coordinates the minor’s services must provide the credit card to keep on file prior to the first appointment. We will not reach out to another parent, on your behalf, to receive payment. In circumstances of a divorce or separation of any kind, it is up to each parent/guardian to follow whatever agreement they have in place regarding medical costs.

Cancellation Policy

Appointments canceled with less than 48 hours notice, or missed without notice, will result in a full session fee that is not reimbursable by insurance. It is important to note that a missed appointment is a valuable time slot where another patient could have been seen.

Credit Card & Billing Issues

If we see an issue with your bill, or your credit card is no longer active or valid, we will do our best to notify you promptly in order to address the issue or update the credit card on file. If fees for services are not paid in a reasonable amount of time and attempts have been made to resolve the financial matter to no avail, all services will be suspended until accounts are paid in full and a client account may be sent to a collection service.

If you see an issue or mistake regarding your bill, please contact us immediately and we will do our best to correct the issue.

Good Faith Estimate

All potential patients who are paying out of pocket for services have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” of expected charges under the No Surprises Act. This estimate is intended to help you make informed decisions about likely healthcare costs and is not a contract for services. Lake Forest Wellness fees are listed on our Consent For Service Form that you must complete prior to your first appointment.

You can ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call HHS toll free at 1-877-696-6775.