Making Sense of Insurance Billing and Client Referral Services for Therapists

Curt and Katie chat about a lot of the different services that therapists can sign up for to provide therapy. We talk about Alma, Headway, TalkSpace, BetterHelp, etc. We also look at what therapists should consider when deciding which service to sign up for (or whether they should). 

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we explore therapist insurance referral services like Alma and Headway

We’ve been asked to weigh in on insurance referral services like Alma and Headway. We explore the different things to consider when choosing a service to sign up for.

What client referral services should therapists sign up for?

·      Betterhelp and TalkSpace models do not include insurance billing and pay therapists very little. We do not recommend therapists sign up as providers on BetterHelp and TalkSpace.

·      Alma, Headway, and other similar models get therapists credentialed, bill insurance, etc.

·      These services are very different and there are a lot of choices for therapists to make

What are questions therapists should consider when deciding which therapist referral service to sign up for?

·      Can I actually use these platforms?

·      How quickly am I credentialed and how many different panels can I sign up for?

·      Will this service get me clients?

·      How many clients are they going to get you?

·      Are the insurance benefits checks accurate?

·      What does customer service look like?

·      What are the rates they pay therapists?

·      Is there a minimum number of clients you’re expected to see?

·      What benefits are included for therapists (like CEs, group meetings, EHR, etc.)

·      What do you want your practice to look like?

·      What purpose will this platform serve for my practice? For example, are you wanting to get more clients or are you wanting to add insurance billing capacity (or both)?

Concerns about digital therapy platforms and insurance referral services

·      The tendency for things to change as startups grow

·       Privacy concerns from app-based therapy apps (like BetterHelp and TalkSpace, etc.)

·      Systemic impacts of tech companies negotiating with insurance companies instead of therapists

·      Most are set up as 1099 businesses versus W2 employee models and seem to skirt some labor laws and put liability on the therapist

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Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/