As of October 1, 2015, A Family Matter no longer accepts insurance. To help future clients understand why I came to this decision, please see the list below.
- Conflict of Interest: Your well being should come first not the insurance company.
- Restricted Choice: Types of therapy, providers, and professional expertise is restricted by insurance companies.
- Contractual Limitations: The contract between the insurance company and provider does not include the client. This is not fair.
- Privacy and Confidentiality Removed: Insurance providers are required to share your information with inspectors and review professionals. This means that potentially hundreds of people could have access to your personal information. This really bothers me! There is also the matter that once a child's file is turned over to insurance, employers or directors could refuse them a job or educational opportunity because they have had counseling. My files are confidential and the child or student are safe from this problem.
- Medication Differences: Insurance assumes that medication is best for the client, but I do not always believe that is the case. There are many mind, emotion, physical, and spiritual alternatives to medicine.
- Time: Time away from you to do reviews. I have to convince review professionals that you are worth spending time on. Also, intense, detailed, and long new requirements are time consuming and greatly interfere with giving you excellent therapy. There is not much time left after requirements to listen to you and give you the therapy you need. Your needs should be first not the insurance company's.
- Diagnosis & Stigma: Insurance only covers services deemed medically necessary—defined as literally life and death and treatment of illness. They require a diagnosis of medical illness. Labeling with a diagnosis has been shown to be harmful to people. Not to mention that insurance now requires detailed and multiple diagnoses of you from a book that is three to four inches thick.
- Control Sessions: Neither you or I want the government or the insurance company to have control of the session. Insurance companies are now being required to pay other insurance companies if they do not meet certain federal standards. You are far more important than money, government or insurance requirements. Also, my therapy is special and does not always fit the insurance blue print.
- Does Not Always Pay: As in the case of marriage counseling, insurance will not cover these sessions if it is considered the primary problem.
- Removes Peace and Safety of Sessions: The insurance threat of taking away money and/or legal action interferes with you having a safe and peaceful place to discuss your problems.
Kent R. Brand, Psychotherapist, LCSW, PIP