How to Dispute a Psychiatry Bill

There may come a time that you need to seek counseling from a professional, such as a psychiatrist. As with all professionals, psychiatrists have billing practices in place for their patients. While a psychiatrist may help you with your mental health needs, a dispute with the psychiatry bill can occur.

Instructions

• 1

  Review your session length. Psychiatrists bill in hourly increments, and your session may last one hour or longer depending on your needs. Keep track of how long your session lasts each visit you have with your psychiatrist.

• 2

  Know your psychiatrist's billing practices. It's important for you to know the hourly fee of your psychiatrist, as well as whether her office will submit the bill to your health insurance first before sending you an invoice.

• 3

  Contact your health insurance provider. Your insurance may cover mental health care and treatment. You may have to receive pre-approval, but can submit post-treatment bills to your insurance carrier to seek reimbursement.

• 4

  Consult local psychiatrists about hourly rates. Rates should be comparable among professionals in the psychiatry field.

• 5

  Place your dispute in writing. Keep track of all information concerning your psychiatry bill dispute so you can refer to it in case your dispute goes unresolved.

• 6

  Speak to your psychiatrist or his office manager in person. Ask for an explanation concerning all charges and whether your time logs from Step 1 match office records.

• 7

  Negotiate the total bill. After any insurance payments, you can attempt to resolve your dispute by negotiating a lesser payout of your total bill and/or discuss payment plans.