Fees & Insurance
We want to be trauma informed, and we know that money and insurance can quickly activate stress, shame, fear, and frustration. It can be hard to think clearly about care when you are worried about a bill, a denial, or whether you will be surprised by a charge you did not expect.
Our team is committed to doing our very best to work with you, to figure out what is going on with your coverage, and to help you know what to expect as clearly as possible. At the same time, we are all working inside a system that does not make this easy for any of us.
How we approach money & care
We want to work together to help your mental health needs be met as much as possible, while also staying grounded in what is realistic for you and for the practice.
We also reserve the right to cancel appointments or pause scheduling if your insurance changes, if your balance gets too high, or if we cannot reach you after repeated attempts. We do not make those choices lightly, and we will do our best to communicate clearly before anything gets to that point.
We will do our best to:
Let you know our current fees up front
Help you understand basic options for self pay and insurance
Verify insurance as accurately as we can with the information we have
Contact you when a bill is getting too large
Work with you on a payment plan when that is needed and possible
In return, we ask that you:
Keep us updated if your insurance changes
Read and sign your intake and financial paperwork
Respond to us in a timely way if we reach out about billing or coverage
Talk with us if something is feeling overwhelming or confusing
Medication management fees
For medication providers, current self pay fees are:
Medication intake or assessment
$295
Medication follow up session
$150
If you are using insurance for medication management, your out of pocket cost will depend on your specific plan, deductible, copay, and coinsurance. We encourage you to check directly with your insurance company so you know what to expect.
Therapy fees
Therapy rates depend on the provider’s licensure level.
Self pay intake or assessment
$200
Self pay therapy session
$135
Self pay therapy session
$165
Self pay 45-minute session
$135
when clinically appropriate and available
Self pay intake or assessment
$135
Self pay therapy session
$100
Fully licensed therapists
For example: LCSW, LMFT, CMHC
Pre-licensed or associate therapists
For example: CSW, MFT, ACMHC
Interns
Student or intern clinicians who practice under supervision.
Self pay intake or assessment
$160
Insurance basics
Purple Sky works with several insurance plans for therapy, and some clients also use insurance for medication management. Common plans include PEHP, BCBS or Regence, SelectHealth, and more.
It is important to know:
Listing an insurance company does not mean every plan or product under that company is covered.
Coverage can vary by plan, by provider, and by service.
Sometimes we are given information by insurance that later turns out to be incomplete or inaccurate.
Because of that, clients are always responsible for double checking their own benefits. Before starting care, we strongly recommend that you call the number on your insurance card and ask:
Is my plan in network with Purple Sky Counseling?
Is my specific provider in network?
Are the services I am seeking, such as therapy, medication management, testing, or groups, covered?
What is my deductible, copay, and coinsurance?
Do I need preauthorization or a referral?
We will also do our best to verify insurance on our side, but it is not possible for us to guarantee how your insurance company will process every claim. We are creating an Insurance Terms page to explain common insurance words like deductible, copay, coinsurance, out of network, and superbill in everyday language so this feels less confusing.
Payment methods & cards on file
To simplify payment and reduce surprises, we require a credit or debit card to be kept on file in our secure system.
All copays, coinsurance, and self pay fees are due at the time of service.
Your card on file may be charged for these amounts after insurance processes, or for self pay sessions.
If a balance builds or a claim is delayed, we will reach out to you to discuss what is happening before making any larger charges when possible.
If you ever have concerns about a specific charge, talk with us so we can review it together.
Cancellation policy
We require at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule any appointment. This is a firm policy because a missed appointment is a session another client could not use.
If you cancel less than 24 hours in advance or miss a scheduled appointment, you will be billed a late-cancel or no-show fee based on the full session rate. The first late cancellation or no-show is billed at 50% of the full rate, and every one after that is billed at 100% of the full rate. These fees are not covered by insurance and are your responsibility.
If late cancellations or unpaid balances continue, we may need to pause or cancel future appointments until things are addressed. When possible, we will reach out first so you have a chance to talk with us about what is happening.
Questions about cost and coverage
Questions about money, billing, and insurance are very common. It is okay if you do not know what to ask yet. You might only know that you need support and are worried about what it will cost or how insurance will respond.
You do not have to navigate this alone. The intake and admin team can:
Go over our fee structure with you
Share what we can see on our side about your coverage
Help you think about questions to ask your insurance company
Talk with you if a bill is feeling unmanageable
Even when we cannot change how insurance decides to pay or deny a claim, we can be honest, kind, and as clear as possible together.
Frequently asked questions
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Yes. Purple Sky works with several insurance plans for therapy, and in some cases for medication management. Common plans include PEHP, BCBS or Regence, SelectHealth, and more. Because every plan is different, listing an insurance company does not guarantee that your specific plan, provider, or service is covered.
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No. Coverage can vary by plan, by provider, and by service. Some plans exclude certain services, or only cover some therapists in a group practice. We will do our best to check benefits on our side, but clients are responsible for confirming coverage directly with their insurance company.
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It can help to ask: Is my plan in network with Purple Sky Counseling, is my specific provider in network, are the services I want covered, what is my deductible, copay, and coinsurance, and do I need preauthorization or a referral. Our future Insurance Terms page will explain these words in simpler language.
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Current self pay rates are:
Fully licensed therapists: $200 for intake, $165 per session
Pre licensed or associate therapists: $160 for intake, $135 per session, with a 45 minute option at $125 when appropriate
Intern therapists: $135 for intake, $100 per session
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Self pay rates for medication providers are $295 for an intake or assessment and $150 per follow up session.
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All copays, coinsurance, and self pay amounts are due at the time of service. We require a card on file in our secure system, and your card may be charged after insurance processes or for self pay sessions.
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Keeping a card on file helps reduce surprises, missed payments, and stress around billing. It allows us to apply copays and balances in a timely way, and to talk with you sooner if a bill is getting too large.
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If your insurance changes, please update us as soon as possible. If a claim is denied or your balance grows, we will do our best to reach out and talk through what is happening and what options you have. We also reserve the right to pause or cancel appointments if we cannot reach you, if coverage changes, or if your balance remains too high without a plan in place.
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It is important to tell us early if payments are starting to feel unmanageable. We can review charges with you, look at options, and sometimes arrange payment plans. We cannot change how insurance pays, but we can be honest, kind, and as clear as possible, and we can decide together what is realistic.
Getting started
If you are ready to begin but have questions about fees, insurance, or what to expect, reaching out is a good first step. We can talk through what you are looking for, what services may help, and what the financial side might look like.