Paying for Therapy Should Not be Complicated!
Get the therapy you deserve, without being limited to in-network options!
Like most therapists in DC, we do not directly take insurance, but you may still be able to use your insurance! Most of our clients are able to use our quick and easy process for Out of network reimbursement to get some or all of their therapy fees reimbursed by their insurance provider. We also help you confirm your Out of network insurance benefits even prior to a free consultation so it’s as simple and clear as possible.
**We are also offering Reduced Fee sessions for clients impacted by recent political changes. More details below.
Check how much your insurance will pay for therapy with one of our therapists with our Free Benefits Calculator
Free Out of Network Benefits Calculator
Most clients get reimbursed about 70-90% of their session fee by their insurance by using their out of network insurance benefits
Ready to get started?
Instant Booking, No Wait Time!
We’re offering Reduced-fee Therapy for Impacted Clients
Some of our therapists are offering Reduced Fee Virtual therapy ($40 per session) for clients who have lost their insurance due to recent lay offs, LGBTQIA+ & BIPOC clients impacted by recent political changes, and undocumented residents and their families. To book a Reduced Fee appointment, please reach out to us at connect@sageandfifththerapy.com
Our Therapists offering Reduced Fee Appointments:
Don’t have out of network benefits from your insurance? We’ve got you covered!
If you don’t have out of network benefits or your out of network benefits are not financially feasible for you, and you have CareFirst BCBS/ Anthem insurance, you can still work with some of our therapists at for individual therapy at our in-network partner practice, Sage Therapy Collective.
Some of our therapists accept CareFirst BCBS for individual psychotherapy (excluding specialized services such as EMDR & ART) at our partner organization Sage Therapy Collective.
** Please note: Therapists at Sage Therapy Collective do not offer specialized services such as EMDR and Couples Therapy
We also offer Reduced/ Sliding Scale Fee therapy to help clients overcome financial barriers to access the care they deserve
We never want finances to be the reason you don’t get a specialized help you need, which is why all our therapists offer a few Reduced Fee/ Sliding Scale slots. Sliding scale options coupled with helping our clients understand their out of network benefits can remove barriers to care. Please ask your therapist about sliding scale options in your consultation.
We Understand Therapy is an Investment in Yourself and Your Relationships
We understand that finding with right therapist who understands your goals and has the expertise to help is an investment you are making in yourself and your relationships. We are very mindful of the time, energy, and money you dedicate to therapy with us and take our commitment to your wellbeing and your goals very seriously. We make sure you get the maximum value out of your therapy with us and see the most effective process of change with evidence-based therapies such as EMDR, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Interracial Couples Therapy, etc.
Why aren’t we in-network? …We chose to prioritize our clients needs over insurance mandated limitations
We have opted to be out-of-network with insurance for reasons that our clients choose us for, time and time again!
We offer specialized services that our clients need and deserve: Insurance does not recognize specialized and holistic modalities of therapy as any different from talk therapy. This makes it hard for specialists to integrate evidence-based specialized treatment modalities if they are in-network with insurance due to strict limitations imposed by insurance.
We go above and beyond for our client confidentiality: Insurance companies typically require therapists to submit detailed clinical information about their clients for billing purposes, which can compromise our client’s privacy and confidentiality. By being out of network we can limit what we share with insurance for reimbursement purposes.
We prioritize our commitment to our client over interests of the insurance company. Limitations imposed by insurance companies on therapists, in the form of constraints on length/ frequency of session, length of treatment, mandating a diagnosis, serve the insurance company, not the client and can compromise the quality and effectiveness of therapy.
We ensure financial sustainability and work-life balance for our therapists: Most in-network therapists are not compensated fairly and are not able to maintain a healthy work life balance, thus leading to burn out and lower quality of care for clients. Going beyond talk therapy to offer specialized therapies like EMDR, Somatic interventions and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy also requires our therapist to extend themselves in their work in ways that talk therapy does not! Ensuring our therapists are compensated fairly for their work is very important to us.
We are stand up to devaluation of Mental Health professionals and unfair billing practices by insurance companies: Did you know insurance companies pay ‘big box’ therapy companies more than specialists working in local practices and pay them commissions on top of that? This is a problematic trend that prioritizes the insurance company’s interests over clients interests as reimbursement is tied to organization size and not the therapist’s expertise! We do not want to perpetuate this trend and the devaluation of the mental health therapy field in general.
Verify your Out of Network Benefits & Submit Your Reimbursement Claims
Verify your Out of Network Benefits and submit your Reimbursement claim to your insurance from right here. We make it quick & easy for our clients. No complicated paperwork!
Billing Questions
For questions about billing or out of network reimbursement process
Email us at
connect@sageandfifththerapy.com
Call us at
+1 (202) 9355912 Ext 500
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my insurance pay for this Specialized Therapy?
This is the question that therapists get asked the most! Let’s check your insurance benefits right now to see what your insurance will pay for our specialized services.
Like most therapists in DC, we do not directly take insurance, but you may still be able to use your insurance! Most of our clients are able to use our quick and easy process for Out of network reimbursement to get 70- 90% of their therapy fees reimbursed by their insurance provider.
Use our free Out of Network Benefits Calculator to see what your insurance will cover, even before your free consultation and then once your start sessions you can submit your claims right here from our website via Reimbursify.
Excuse us, we’re stepping onto our soapbox for a sec...
For far too long insurance providers have led clients to beleive that they will only pay for therapy with in-network providers, i.e. your therapist must be in-network for insurance to cover your therapy. This isn’t always the case—especially if you have a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plan. Take a look at your insurance card and check whether it says PPO, HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), or POS (Point of Service). If it says PPO, you’re in luck, because most PPO plans actually offer Out-of-Network coverage. This means you can see any provider, even if they’re not in your insurance network, and still get reimbursed for some or all of the fees you pay to your therapist. Read more here.
Do you offer Reduced/ Sliding Scale Fee Options?
We never want finances to be the reason you don’t get a specialized help you need, which is why all our therapists offer a few Reduced Fee/ Sliding Scale slots.
If finances are what’s holding you back, schedule a consultation with the therapist you want to work with to see if they have a reduced/ sliding scale fee slot available or email us at connect@sageandfifththerapy.com.
We will never ask for your income details, financial updates or anything like that to offer a reduced fee/ sliding scale slot, it’s all based on honor system in our practice. Some clients use the slot offered to them for 6 months, some for 2 years before they transition to full fee. We’re just happy you’re able to access the services you need.
As we only have a few Reduced Fee/ Sliding Scale Slots, all we ask is that as and when your finances change and you are able to afford the full fee you offer to move to full fee so we can open up the slot for someone else who might need it.
Payment Methods We Accept
We accept Debit cards &Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club). HSA cards and FSA Cards are also accepted.
Do you work with an In-Network Therapy Partner?
Some of our providers are able to accept CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield insurance only for individual psychotherapy at our partner organization Sage Therapy Collective PLLC. If you are interested in using your CareFirst BCBS insurance for individual psychotherapy, please email us at clientservices@sagetherapycollective.com or book a consultation for in-network services.
* EMDR and Couples Therapy are not offered at in-network partner
How do I get reimbursed by insurance? Now you can submit your request to your insurance from right here!
Now you can submit your request for Out of Network Reimbursement to your insurance right from our website via Reimbursify or you can use the Reimbursify App. Your first claim is free and subsequent claims incur a fee charged by Reimbursify of $3.99/claim.
We automatically email you your superbill every month and you can also access it by logging in to our Client Portal on the web or on the app.
Alternatively, you can also submit your reimbursement request directly with your insurance provider using your superbill. Please contact your insurance to find out about their out of network reimbursement process.
Do you provide a Good Faith Estimate for services?
Yes, we provide a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) for psychotherapy services as required by the No Surprises Act of 2021. The document will be written for the entire year and sent to you via email.
You have the right to receive a GFE document explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a GFE for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a GFE before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your GFE, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your GFE document.
For questions or more information about your right to a GFE, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
