Appointments
Beverly Simmons, PhD, LCSW
If you are interested in an appointment with Dr. Beverly Simmons at Raleigh Psychotherapy, please call me at the following number, so that we can discuss your needs: 919-824-9102
My office is located at: 4016 Barrett Dr, Suite 104, Raleigh, NC 27609 (opens in a new window)
Appointments Types and Fees
Initial Appointment
An initial consultation lasts 55-60 minutes. During this initial appointment, you will be asked a wide range of questions about your current struggles, background, goals and needs. We will discuss a plan to address your specific needs at this time. If you require a referral to any outside provider, we can also address this during your initial consultation.
In order to devote more time to your needs, it is recommended that you complete your forms (in-page link) prior to your arrival. Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have regarding the forms (in-page link).
The fee for an initial appointment is $315 (CPT Code 90791).
Follow-Up Appointments
Follow-up appointments are normally 50-52 minute sessions. If you require a different length of appointment, this may be negotiated at the time you schedule your follow-up appointment.
The fee for a 50-52 minute follow-up appointment is $250 (CPT Code 90834).
Some clients request a slightly longer session of 53-58 minutes, the fee for which is $315 (CPT Code 90837).
Missed Appointments / Cancellations
In order to meet the needs of my clients and organize my business, I request that clients provide at least 24 hours notice of a need to cancel an appointment.
The full fee of the appointment will be charged to you when an appointment is missed or cancelled without 24 hours notice.
You are accountable and responsible for keeping your agreed upon treatment schedule. My practice schedule remains booked, which does not allow availability for frequent reschedules or missed appointments. If you repeatedly cancel or reschedule appointments (even with giving 24 hours notice), I will have to refer you to a practice with greater flexibility to provide you with better continuity of care.
Billing and Payment
Accepted Payment Types
Payment is due on the day of your appointment.
I accept cash, check, or credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa).
Fee-For-Service Model
Raleigh Psychotherapy, PLLC has elected to not contract with any managed care networks/insurance companies.
I operate the practice on a fee-for-service model, which means that you pay for your appointment at the time of each visit.
I chose to do this based on experience with third-party disruptions of client treatment needs and intrusions on confidentiality. I have found that the only way to guarantee complete confidentiality in the client-therapist relationship is to opt out of participation with managed care plans and insurance companies.
If your financial situation dictates that your insurance pay for your therapy, I highly recommend that you work with an in-network provider as this is the best way to ensure that your treatment is covered by insurance. This will also allow you to pay the most minimal amount for your therapy. It is your insurance company’s responsibility to provide qualified therapists in the area who are in-network with your insurance. Your insurance company has employees with whom you may work directly to find a referral.
Raleigh Psychotherapy, PLLC does not participate with Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or other federal or state government-sponsored insurance plans. We do NOT accept assignment for your reimbursement through these plans.
This is further outlined in our paperwork which requires that you certify that you understand this and will not pursue Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE reimbursement for services provided within this practice.
Claiming Out-Of-Network Insurance Benefits
If you choose to claim out-of-network commercial insurance benefits for your psychotherapy treatment within my practice, I will assist you with this process by providing you with a statement of services provided including the appropriate procedural code and diagnostic information as well as payments made that you can submit directly to your insurance company for out-of-network benefits.
You should contact your insurance company directly to determine whether or not you have out-of-network coverage and the amount of benefit that you can expect to receive from the company.
Please note that a mental health diagnosis must be included on your statement in order for you to collect medical, mental health or behavioral health insurance benefits. This diagnosis then becomes part of your individual health record which may be subject to review by any doctor or health/life insurance provider you encounter in the future. Once your insurance company approves a service claim for the treatment of your mental health diagnosis, they will pay your benefits directly to you.
Raleigh Psychotherapy, PLLC does not participate with Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or other federal or state government-sponsored insurance plans. We do NOT accept assignment for your reimbursement through these plans. This is further outlined in our paperwork which requires that you certify that you understand this and will not pursue Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE reimbursement for services provided within this practice.
HITECH ACT/Heath Information Exchange (HIE)
As part of the 2009 HITECH Act, many health care providers and hospitals received federal incentive money to begin using Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) which use a centralized data architecture model. Patients generally give implicit consent to join the Health Information Exchange whenever they see one of these providers. Your medical records are then available for electronic exchange whenever your participating providers are working with you. Your personal information and medical record is also set up in a system that could be subject to government data mining in the future. Some insurance companies now require that all health care providers participate in putting their data into such a system before they reimburse for services.
Overall, I view the majority of this effort in order to improve overall population health management at a national level as a positive thing. However, I find it to be disruptive to the alliance that I have with my patients in psychotherapy practice. I also have no control over who sees your information or how it is interpreted once it leaves my office, which is another reason why I have chosen to not participate on any insurance panels.
I keep a fully secured and independent Electronic Medical Record that is separate from any other health care providers, but I am available to exchange information at any patient’s explicit request with written consent. I choose to do this because I find that my clients are better able to effectively and honestly participate in their work when they are certain that their personal information will not leave my office and that I have provided them with an additional layer of confidentiality.