If you have any questions that weren’t covered here, please reach out.
We understand that you have a life with its own commitments and that everyone has unexpected changes to their schedule. With more than 24 hours’ notice, we are happy to try to accommodate your schedule to the best of our ability.
However, if you need to cancel or reschedule a session, we ask that you provide one business day (24 hours) notice. This means that appointments scheduled for a Monday must be cancelled on or before the preceding Friday. If you miss a session without canceling, or cancel with less than 24 business hours’ notice, our policy is to collect the full amount of the appointment fee.
It is important to note that insurance companies do not provide reimbursement for “late cancellation” or “no show” sessions. Thus, you will be responsible for the portion of the fee as described above. If it is possible, we will try to find another time to reschedule the appointment.
Union Square Practice administrative staff is in the office between 9AM and 5PM, Monday through Friday. If a staff member is occupied with another client matter, they might not answer the phone. In these cases, please leave a voicemail including your name, phone number, and your reason for calling, and a staff member will return your call within one business day.
If you need to contact administrative staff, please use the contact information below:
Please note that by communicating through email, text, or fax, you are granting permission to Union Square Practice to respond on the same platform despite the inherent risks of breach of confidentiality.
Payment for each appointment—whether in person or via telehealth—is expected at the time of the visit. Union Square Practice asks that you keep a credit card on file in your patient portal, which will be used for session payments as well as for any missed appointments or late cancellations.
If you have any questions about our billing and payments process, please contact us.
We are very aware of the need for affordable mental health treatment in New York City and have developed a model that offers affordable choices.
Fees vary by clinician based on level of training and experience and based on the services provided. Professional services other than assessment, therapy, and medication management that might incur fees can include report writing, telephone conversations lasting longer than 10 minutes, consulting with other professionals with your permission, preparation of records or treatment summaries, and time spent performing any other service that you may request.
We will discuss our fees with you on our brief phone evaluation, which we do free of charge. When you have your appointment, payment is expected at the time of visit and we expect that all payment is made via credit card. You will be given a receipt with all of the information that will allow for submission to your insurance company.
Union Square Practice does not accept insurance and is considered an out-of-network provider. However, many insurance plans offer out-of-network benefits or reimbursement, which vary depending on your policy. We’re happy to provide the necessary documentation and support to help you seek reimbursement whenever possible.
Please contact us so we can describe in detail the options available.
Many people do not realize that they have out-of-network benefits that can reimburse them for services! Out-of-network benefits are what your insurance uses should you decide to see a clinician who does not accept your insurance. Not everyone has out-of-network benefits, though many insurance plans do offer them.
Generally, these benefits will become effective after you have met your insurance deductible. Once that deductible is met, out-of-network insurance typically reimburses anywhere from 50-80% of the cost per service. The exact amount reimbursed is specific to your insurance provider and to what your insurance
provider deems as the typical cost of services you are seeking.
You will need to call your insurance provider to understand your out-of-network benefits. We’ve outlined some steps below:
Billing Codes for providers that prescribe medication (Psychiatrists and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners):
Billing Codes for talk therapy (Psychologists, Mental Health Counselors, and Social Workers):
Please reach back out to us and let us know how it went or if we can help further!
Yes! Most therapy practices in New York are out-of-network. Utilizing out-of-network benefits grants you a much larger range of clinicians to select from. This can be helpful when looking for someone that has a specific specialization or approach. Additionally, out-of-pocket costs can help you reach your deductible (this applies to medical benefits as well!) requirement sooner. You can also use your FSA card to pay for these costs!
We understand that paying out of pocket may not be feasible for everyone. However, paying out of pocket puts you in complete control of your care. This removes any limitations applied by insurance, such as duration and frequency of therapy, and allows individuals to choose the clinician who is the best fit.
Yes! Below is an example. Please note this is not an exact estimate:
You are looking to engage in weekly therapy sessions and are told the cost of each session would be $250. Assuming the reimbursement of out-of-network benefits is 60%, you can multiply $250 by 60% and learn that reimbursement is $150. By subtracting the reimbursement from the initial fee ($250-$150), you can calculate your out-of-pocket expense, which is $100.
Note: Effective January 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act requires medical practitioners to provide good faith estimates of services before services are rendered. The fee range provided to you in an email or screening call will be reasonably accurate to what you can expect to pay per session as a patient.