Question for therapists about choosing panels
February 7, 2022 2:26 PM Subscribe
I know there are some therapists that read and comment here and this question is for you!
I am an LCSW as of a couple of years ago and started doing some private practice last year on the side of a day job that pays the bills. In a perfect world, I'd just keep doing private pay and not messing with insurance paperwork, but my 9 to 5 is starting to make me truly miserable and I'm not a master of self-promotion, and it seems to me, if I want to take the plunge and stop doing a hateful day job, I'll probably need to be on some panels to fill my schedule.
I don't know many therapists locally and the ones I do know are private pay. I've asked in some useless places like reddit. I'm wondering if anyone here went down this road and has good advice on figuring out which of the seemingly hundreds of insurance providers to try and hitch my wagon to. I've completed my CAQH application and am I think generally good to go....
I am an LCSW as of a couple of years ago and started doing some private practice last year on the side of a day job that pays the bills. In a perfect world, I'd just keep doing private pay and not messing with insurance paperwork, but my 9 to 5 is starting to make me truly miserable and I'm not a master of self-promotion, and it seems to me, if I want to take the plunge and stop doing a hateful day job, I'll probably need to be on some panels to fill my schedule.
I don't know many therapists locally and the ones I do know are private pay. I've asked in some useless places like reddit. I'm wondering if anyone here went down this road and has good advice on figuring out which of the seemingly hundreds of insurance providers to try and hitch my wagon to. I've completed my CAQH application and am I think generally good to go....
I would recommend also joining a private Facebook group for therapists (as a therapist, I am in a couple) ; I think you will get better/more responses there. I am in a couple niche ones but I'm sure there are plenty of general ones/ones catering to the specific population/area you are working with. Facebook groups have been a great resource for me!
(I do some private practice but am not paneled so can't really answer your question myself)
posted by bearette at 5:16 PM on February 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
(I do some private practice but am not paneled so can't really answer your question myself)
posted by bearette at 5:16 PM on February 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
In any area there are only a few insurance plans that dominate - maybe six or eight at most plus some EAPs. Ask all your friends and neighbors - that will tell you which ones are most likely to be actually providing you with clients.
Then do check out the Facebook groups - there are a couple of insurance companies that have really poor reputations for being hard to work with.
You will need to find some local therapists to get a sense of the rates - insurance companies can pay very different amounts in different regions. It is hard to get the actual rates from the insurance companies until you have signed with them and since the amount they pay is considered confidential business information so you won't see therapists talking publicly about the actual fees either. Your best bet is to find someone local to you who takes the insurance plan you are interested in and see if they would be willing to give you some advice over the phone (and then ask about rates informally over the phone) Fortunately therapists tend to like to be helpful so they are more likely to agree to that kind of information interviews.
Finally, on behalf of everyone who needs to use their insurance to get their mental health needs met, thank you for even considering this - hopefully it will be a win-win for you and your clients.
posted by metahawk at 6:04 PM on February 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
Then do check out the Facebook groups - there are a couple of insurance companies that have really poor reputations for being hard to work with.
You will need to find some local therapists to get a sense of the rates - insurance companies can pay very different amounts in different regions. It is hard to get the actual rates from the insurance companies until you have signed with them and since the amount they pay is considered confidential business information so you won't see therapists talking publicly about the actual fees either. Your best bet is to find someone local to you who takes the insurance plan you are interested in and see if they would be willing to give you some advice over the phone (and then ask about rates informally over the phone) Fortunately therapists tend to like to be helpful so they are more likely to agree to that kind of information interviews.
Finally, on behalf of everyone who needs to use their insurance to get their mental health needs met, thank you for even considering this - hopefully it will be a win-win for you and your clients.
posted by metahawk at 6:04 PM on February 7, 2022 [2 favorites]
In the Chicago area, most of the therapists I know are using BCBS, it has a high payment rate (so I've heard) and isn't super difficult to work with. The reimbursement can be slow though so make sure to stay on top of your billing.
posted by AlexiaSky at 1:00 AM on February 8, 2022
posted by AlexiaSky at 1:00 AM on February 8, 2022
It is going to very much depend on your location. I agree with joining a therapists Facebook group in your area. Some places BCBS is the highest payer around $125-150, others they may pay $65. UHC, BCBS, Aetna and Cigna are the big ones in the two states where I practice.
Also look into Headway. People think of it as a referral source but it's really a biller. You join their group practice and are on their panels which are generally better rates than you'd get for someone newer in the field (unless you've got a very in-demand specialty to negotiate with). If you talk to Headway please let me give you my info to tell them so I get the kickback!
One benefit of Headway is they absorb "clawbacks" where the insurance paid a claim then decided they don't want to, or they demand extra paperwork to justify the claim. Headway stands between you and them so you don't have to deal with that. You may find negative info about them but a large portion of it is people who thought it would be a source of free referrals and find out it isn't.
posted by crunchy potato at 6:41 AM on February 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
Also look into Headway. People think of it as a referral source but it's really a biller. You join their group practice and are on their panels which are generally better rates than you'd get for someone newer in the field (unless you've got a very in-demand specialty to negotiate with). If you talk to Headway please let me give you my info to tell them so I get the kickback!
One benefit of Headway is they absorb "clawbacks" where the insurance paid a claim then decided they don't want to, or they demand extra paperwork to justify the claim. Headway stands between you and them so you don't have to deal with that. You may find negative info about them but a large portion of it is people who thought it would be a source of free referrals and find out it isn't.
posted by crunchy potato at 6:41 AM on February 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
First thing I'd do if I were in your shoes is make sure your info is clearly available in as many places online as you can put it. PsychologyToday is very easy for prospective clients to use (I've used it for both professional and personal searches). There are plenty of others, and it's great to have a website with your contact info clearly stated. Like on the top and bottom of every page as well as on a contact page. Really blows my mind how many people go through the trouble to set up a website and don't make their contact info easy to find.
Next, I'd find some of the main insurances in your area. An easy way to do this is to browse other therapists' profiles in your area on PsychologyToday and see what panels most of them are on (typically found at the bottom of their profile). This way you can find which networks are likely to have a lot of clients in your area.
If you want to be choosy about the rates you get, I'd start calling around and ask what rates each network will offer you. I know some go as low as $30/session (compsych lol) and I imagine there's quite a range based on how many providers tell me that my employer's rates are low compared to other panels. Definitely shop around and don't be afraid to try to negotiate. Depending on your specialties and how many other therapists are in your area, you may be able to get a better deal for yourself.
Good luck!
posted by switcheroo at 4:32 PM on February 7, 2022 [1 favorite]