FAQs | Coastal Light Counseling & Psychotherapy

Yes, we do because when you schedule an appointment, your therapist has dedicated 55 minutes of their time to you. When you cancel late or do not show to an appointment, that's income lost for your therapist and time lost from them being able to help someone else who could have scheduled for that time.

Unlike many other practices though, the first time you late-cancel or no-show, we do not charge the full amount. We all get our schedule confused or forget an appointment at one point or another, so we know that giving some grace is important!

Our 2022 fees are:

1st late cancellation: $45
1st last-minute cancellation: $60
1st no-show: $60

Subsequent late cancellation & no-show fees are the full session fee.

When a situation is unavoidable and unforeseeable, we do not charge late-cancellation or no-show fees.

However, if this repeatedly occurs, we will ask that you provide documentation (if applicable) to continue having the fees waived.

Your therapist may also need to discuss options for changing to a different time (if available) or pausing therapy until you are able to fully commit to your appointments.

We accept and are in-network for commercial plans (not medicaid/medicare or EAPs) under Optima and Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield.

We are Non-Network Certified TRICARE Mental Health Providers. You will need to pay your session fee at the beginning of each session. To make your life easier, we submit claims for you as a courtesy so that you don't have to submit them yourself. TRICARE will send you a reimbursement check based on your plan with them.

We do not have billing specialists on staff, so you will need to contact your insurance to ask them how much your responsibility will be.

If you have a coinsurance amount, you can let them know that we typically have 55 minute psychotherapy sessions and submit claims with the billing code 90837. This will help them calculate your coinsurance based on the reimbursement rate they pay for the billing code 90837.

If you have not prearranged this with your therapist and your session is less than 53 minutes, then yes, the full 55 minute session fee is due because that is the amount of time the therapist set aside for you.

The session time you missed is treated like a late-cancellation or no-show.

If you are using your insurance, they will only pay for the amount of time that you are in session, so you will be charged separately for the difference between that amount and the full amount they would have paid for a 55 minute session.

Do you offer a sliding scale?

Do you accept Medicaid?

Do you accept Medicare?

How much do the sessions cost?

When do I pay for my session?

Can I use an FSA/HSA card?

Do you charge late-cancellation and no-show fees like other practices do?

What if I get sick or have an emergency and can't attend my appointment?

What insurance do you accept?

What if I don't see my insurance listed?

Can you tell me what my copay or coinsurance amount will be?

Is it the same fee if I show up late or have to leave early and have a shorter session?

Still Have Questions?

Notice of Nondiscrimination: Coastal Light Counseling & Psychotherapy does not discriminate against patients, personnel, applicants, or the public on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability, including HIV status, in its health programs, activities, or hiring.

If you are in crisis, text or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a free, 24-hour hotline, at 988. If your issue is an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Coastal Light Counseling & Psychotherapy does not offer crisis counseling or emergency services.