Richard Sansom, M.S.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST
(503) 784-8813
Fees
I try to keep my fee affordable and would like to work with you to set a fee that is reasonable for both of us.
For counseling to be successful it is important that we feel comfortable working together. Our first session allows me to get an overview of the issues you want to address and allows you to evaluate whether you feel comfortable working with me.
My base fee is $100 per clinical hour (50 minutes for the session, 10 minutes for preparation and record keeping).
I accept a limited number of clients at a lower fee for those whose income is limited. Please discuss this with me at our first session.
I charge an adjusted fee of $80 if you pay me directly and choose not to go through your insurance company.
When you make an appointment, I am reserving that hour exclusively for you. If you need to cancel, please do so at least 24 hours in advance so I can schedule another client at that time. I charge for appointments cancelled less than 24 hours in advance. Missed appointments can not be billed to insurance. As with all rules, there are exceptions.
If you have health insurance that pays for mental health counseling it is important that you understand how this impacts your privacy. If you access therapy through your insurance, it makes it necessary for me to disclose information about your treatment to them. This information is used by the insurance company to determine benefits which they will allow you. This information is stored on a computer database. I cannot (and perhaps neither can you) control who has access to this information. Under the new federal rules (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), your personal health information can be disclosed to organizations such as data –processing companies, law enforcement officials or the federal government without your consent or knowledge.
Many health insurance companies are working hard to keep their costs at a minimum. Because of this, most plans do not cover marriage counseling or family counseling unless they are part of a treatment plan for a serious mental disorder or drug/alcohol problem. Also, they require a great deal of paperwork and phone calls to begin or continue treatment sessions. If I do not have to spend time working with your health insurance company, I am willing to charge a lower fee.
I will accept insurance if I am a member of their provider panel. There are many insurance companies and I am not on every provider panel. Please check with your insurance company or bring your insurance information with you to our first session.