Rates and Insurance
Rates
$175 per 55 minute session and $195 for the first intake session. We are happy to help you find out from your health insurance what your share of the session cost will be.
Insurance
At Bozeman Counseling Center, we strive to make counseling accessible and help you understand your insurance coverage. Below you’ll find important information about how insurance works, what plans we are typically in-network with, and what you should know before your first session.
In-Network Insurance Plans
We are in-network with several major insurance companies. In Montana, many plans are administered under the umbrella of larger carriers, even if your card shows a different company.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS): If your insurance card displays the Blue Cross or Blue Shield insignia (anywhere on the card), the plan is part of the BCBS network—even if the primary insurance company name on the card is different. In these cases, we are typically in-network.
- This includes MSU Student Health Insurance, which is a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. MSU student insurance often covers the first four sessions at no cost to the student, with a small copay required for additional sessions.
• Cigna: If your card says “Cigna” or shows on the back/front that it is part of the Cigna Network, we are typically in-network.
• Aetna: If your card displays the Aetna logo, we are typically in-network.
• Allegiance
• PacificSource
• First Choice Health: Some insurance companies partner with the First Choice Health Network. If your card lists First Choice Health or shows their network logo, we are typically in-network even if the main insurance company name is different.
• Mountain Health Co-op
• EBMS (Employee Benefit Management Services)
Because Montana insurance is often administered through these larger networks, the best way to verify is to look for the carrier logo or network insignia on your insurance card.
Insurance Benefit Information
It’s important to know that insurance companies do not guarantee benefit information provided to providers. Even when we check benefits through insurance portals, those estimates may not be accurate until after your first claim is processed.
As a courtesy, we are happy to verify benefits for you. However, the most accurate information will come from you calling your insurance company’s member services number (on the back of your card).
Types of Insurance Plans
Insurance coverage can vary widely. Here are the most common structures:
• Deductible Plans: You may need to meet a deductible before insurance begins paying. After the deductible is met, your plan may cover services either at 100% or at a set percentage (such as 80/20).
• Copay Plans: Some plans charge a fixed copay for each office visit.
• Coinsurance Plans: Instead of a flat copay, some plans require you to pay a percentage of the allowed rate for each session, many times after a deductible is met.
Behavioral Health Carve-Outs
Some insurance companies require members to use third-party companies for behavioral health services. Unfortunately, this isn’t always clear until a claim is processed. For this reason, we strongly encourage clients to call their insurance company directly to confirm behavioral health coverage.
Coverage Limitations
Insurance plans may have certain limitations, including:
• A set number of covered sessions per year
• Restrictions to specific diagnoses (some plans do not cover adjustment disorders, for example)
• Exclusions for certain types of therapy, such as couples counseling
Checking directly with your insurance provider is the best way to know what your plan will and won’t cover.
Telehealth Coverage
We offer telehealth counseling, and many of our in-network carriers do cover it. However, coverage can vary by company and plan. Please confirm with your insurance provider whether telehealth sessions are included in your benefits.
Questions to Ask Your Insurance
When calling your insurance company to verify your benefits, it can be helpful to ask specific questions. Here are some examples:
Is Bozeman Counseling Center an in-network provider for my plan?
Do I have a deductible that must be met before my plan begins paying for counseling?
What is my copay or coinsurance for outpatient mental health visits?
Is there a limit to the number of sessions covered per year?
Is telehealth counseling covered under my plan?
Does my plan require me to use a specific behavioral health company or network?
Are there any exclusions for certain diagnoses or types of therapy (such as couples counseling)?
Writing these down before your call can help you get clear and complete information about your coverage.
Payment Responsibility
All patient responsibility amounts (copays, deductibles, coinsurance, and non-covered services) are due at the time of service. For your convenience and peace of mind, we securely keep a credit card on file. This allows us to process payments easily and helps avoid unexpected billing issues. Please note that clients are ultimately responsible for all session fees not covered by insurance, including services denied by insurance.
Out-of-Network Options
We are not currently in-network with UnitedHealthcare, Tri Care, Medicare, or Medicaid. If a plan is not listed above under In-Network insurance plans, we are happy to help you find out what your out-of-network benefits are for counseling sessions. We do not bill auto insurance plans such as Medical Payments (MedPay) or Personal Injury Protection (PIP), and we do not bill any other third-party services or companies for counseling sessions.
If you have a plan we are not in-network with, we will provide you with a superbill (an itemized receipt of services) that you can submit to your insurance company. Depending on your plan, you may be eligible for out-of-network reimbursement. Please check with your insurance provider to learn more about your out-of-network benefits.
Counseling for All Budgets
We also offer our Counseling for All Budgets program, which provides reduced-cost counseling with our counseling graduate student interns. This program helps make therapy more accessible for those without insurance or those seeking lower out-of-pocket costs.
Payment
We accept cash, check and all major credit cards as forms of payment. Your share of the session cost after insurance is due at each session. We will request a credit card be kept in our secure file. We also accept HSA credit cards.
Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend a session, please make sure you cancel at least 24 hours beforehand. Otherwise, you may be charged for the full rate of the session.
Good Faith Estimate Notice
Notice to clients and prospective clients:
Under the law, health care providers need to give clients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service, or at any time during treatment.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, or how to dispute a bill, see your Estimate, or visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
Any Other Questions
Please contact us for any additional questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!