Dr. Barbara Bear

 Licensed Psychologist, Board Certified Coach,

Educational and Career Consultant, Executive Coach, Organizational Psychologist, Certified Autism Specialist, Master of Jurisprudence in Child Law and Policy

Fees & Insurance

Fees

For self-pay patients, Dr. Bear's  usual, customary fees are $250 for an initial intake (75-90-minute session), $175.00 per 60-minute session, and $150 for a 45-minute session. Fees for psychological assessments/testing depend on the cost of the materials needed to be purchased for assessments.  Fees for psychological testing are based on the cost of assessment tools, time spent with the client, time spent taking the assessment, and time spent on the interpretation of results. If the client chooses to file insurance, Dr. Bear will honor the contracted rate with your insurance company. 

If the client chooses to file insurance, the client is responsible for any services insurance does not cover. If a client files insurance, their contracted rate may differ from Dr. Bear's self-pay rates. In some cases, Dr. Bear offers sliding scale rates. 

Payment

Payment is requested when services are rendered by check, cash, or credit card.

Insurance

Insurance Companies will only pay for services that are "medically necessary." In order to utilize your medical insurance for mental health treatment, you must be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Additionally, the clinician must prove that your mental health condition is affecting your health and overall functioning on a daily basis. Insurance companies do not cover all mental health conditions. 

It is the client's responsibility to contact their insurance provider and verify their benefits and out-of-pocket responsibility before their first appointment. Otherwise, the client will be responsible for self-pay rates. The client is expected to pay for non-allowable and deductible charges, as well as co-payments, when services are rendered. If an insurance payment is not received with 60 days, after a claim is filed, the client will become responsible for payment of the total amount due. The client is responsible for following up with their insurance company for delayed payments and other concerns. Dr. Bear is not in network with Medicaid or Medicare.

Most insurance companies reimburse for a percentage of my services if Dr. Bear is  “in-network” with the insurance company. However, the client must pay for services upfront if Dr. Bear is “out-of-network” with your insurance company. Dr. Bear can help guide clients through submitting the necessary claims forms to get directly reimbursed by the client's insurance company.  Dr. Bear accepts Flexible Spending  Account (FSA) Cards and Health Savings Account (HSA) Cards.

Billing

Payment is required from clients at time of service.  Bills are not mailed to clients. If there is a balance due, the client will receive an invoice through Dr. Bear's portal and payment is expected within 30 days. Customary collection procedures will be followed to collect unpaid balances.

Refunds

Refunds are issued once a month, only after all pending claims have cleared.

Past Due Accounts

Processing past-due accounts is expensive. Accounts that are over 60 days past due may be assigned to a collections attorney or small claims court, depending upon the total balance due, for enforcement of collection.

Missed Appointments

If you cannot keep an appointment, please notify the office by phone or email immediately. If an appointment is canceled or missed without a 24-hour advance notice, you will be charged $100.  24-hour-a-day voice mail phone coverage through the office is available. Insurance does not pay for missed appointments; therefore, you will be financially responsible for the full fee.

Responsibility

The client is responsible for the payment of Dr. Bear's professional fees. It is the client's responsibility to know the amount of their deductible and/or co-payment. If a third party, such as a spouse, relative, parent, is making a  payment, payment is expected at the time of service. Clients requesting a third party to pay must sign consent forms in addition to the third party, for the third party payment. The client will be responsible for claims that are denied due to "filing past the insurance carrier's time limit," which is the result of failure by the client to inform this office of changes in insurance coverage. 

Please address any billing questions to Dr. Bear at drbear@drbarbarabear.com.