Fees

My standard fee for on-going 50-minute session ranges from

$265 – $350+ per 50-minute session.

Depending on your own circumstances, you decide what you are able to pay within that range. The more you’re able to pay, the more it allows me to continue to provide lower fees and other pro-bono services for the community. The initial intake session, which is 60 minutes, will be $60 more than your 50-minute session fee.

I am happy to further discuss any questions you may have about the fees. You and I will settle upon a rate/fee before we meet for the first intake session.

Session Frequency

For those who may not be familiar with mental health therapy, it may be helpful to know that weekly meetings are to be expected especially at first. In the first session or two, I will invite you to talk about your symptoms, your history, and cultural context. You may disclose to the extent that feels comfortable for you. Depending on the extent and complexity of your struggles, how quickly you want to see shifts in yourself and your life, we may decide whether it would be best to continue meeting weekly. For best results, at least weekly and consistent sessions for the first few months are highly recommended. If you are having a hard time functioning in your life (work, relationships), we may meet more than once a week. At some point when you feel more stable, we may explore the possibility of meeting every other week. We will mutually check in periodically to reassess the cadence of our sessions.

Health Insurance?

I am an “out-of-network provider” for all health insurance plans. This means that you pay me out of pocket and you are encouraged to seek reimbursement from your own insurance, if you have out-of-network coverage. I will provide monthly receipts (otherwise known as “superbill”) for you.

• If your insurance type is PPO, you should be able to request reimbursement from your insurance. However,
• You have to meet your annual deductible amount before the insurance will reimburse you.
• Please do double-check with your own insurance company for specific coverage and for your reimbursement rate.
• It may be helpful to inform your insurance company that the “procedure code” for 45-minute therapy sessions is “90834” (though my standard sessions are 50 minutes, we will still use the 45-minute code). The initial intake session will be the procedure code, 90791. With these codes, the insurance representative can inform you of how much they’ll reimburse you.
• Even within the same insurance plan, there may be different reimbursement rates between individuals, depending on the group coverage you have.
• Some insurance companies will also only reimburse you for more “severe” diagnosis.
• Also, please make sure that your insurance will reimburse you for telehealth sessions.

Lastly, please keep in mind that if you are considering submitting receipt/superbill to your insurance for reimbursement, then be prepared for us to discuss formal mental disorder diagnosis which is required by insurance companies. This/these diagnosis(es) will become part of your health record and may have implications when you apply for life insurance or long-term care insurance.

“Good Faith Estimate”

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your care will cost, especially if you are not seeking reimbursement from your insurance. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients, who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance, an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total
expected cost of any non-emergency items or services.

You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit http://www.cms.gov/nosurprises

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Contact Dr. Lin

Please note that completing this form goes through my Gmail account (EllenJLin@gmail.com). You are welcome to call me at 408-828-8375, and/or you may note some available times when you’re free to talk without detailing much about your struggles.