Please note that most insurance companies do not cover psychological testing for developmental delays or learning issues, as they deem these services ‘educational’ rather than ‘medical’, even if the provider is ‘in-network’.

Why did we stop accepting insurance? Insurance companies only pay for things that are ‘medically necessary.’ This means that someone has to actually diagnose you with a mental health disorder AND prove that it is impacting your health on a day-to-day basis. Fortunately, many parents seek treatment before their child’s issue would meet criteria for diagnosis as a mental health disorder. Your insurance company will tell you, “A quote for benefits does not guarantee payment…” This means that you can be told over the phone that something is covered. You can be given an authorization number. You are often still denied once they review the diagnosis.  

Another issue is that we have learned over the years that preapprovals involve the staff of the insurance company ‘granting permission’ for each and every individual test that we feel we need to administer, prior to our starting testing.  We tailor our assessments to your child and the referral question, so we frequently change our test battery after we start working with and getting to know your child, rather than administering the same tests to each client. This individualized approach does not fit with the insurance preapproval process.

Lastly, we are typically required to give a mental health diagnosis/code in order to receive reimbursement. This is unethical if in fact your child does not meet criteria for a diagnosis, and requires that a family member’s diagnosis be shared with third parties. 

Our services DO qualify for flex spending.