We wish to inform you that we have transitioned from a medical model to a cultural, African-centered consultation model. As part of this change, we are streamlining our processes and payment structures to better suit our new approach.
Our services now take the form of consultations. These are sessions where we engage with you on a one-to-one basis, providing personalized advice and guidance. In line with our new model, we no longer accept insurance, necessitating direct payments for our services.
For pricing, we’ve established a simple structure:
– An initial consultation is priced at $250.
– Subsequent follow-up consultations are set at $150 each.
– In the event of no-shows or late cancellations (within 24-48 hours of the scheduled time), a fee of $150 will be applied.
– Cancelling your appointment ahead of this 24-48 hour window will not incur any charges.
For all consultations, we require a valid payment card on record, with charges directly billed to you. If there are any changes to your payment method, we kindly ask that you notify us as soon as possible.
We appreciate your understanding during this transition. Our goal is to offer you excellent service under our new cultural model. Should you need any further information or assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
REVIEW OUR SERVICE FEES AND PRICING POLICIES
Service Fee Schedule & Billing Policy
WHAT TO KNOW
To become and remain a client of Onipa you must place and maintain an active, funded, and valid payment card on file. You incur the billing fee when your requested appointment is confirmed and not canceled 24-48 hours before the session time. By requesting an appointment, you agree to our billing policies and authorize payment for all services scheduled. For all insured, you are responsible for the full cost of service if you cancel your insurance, your insurance company rejects or denies a claim, your insurance lapses (which is when they suspend services because you have not paid your premiums), or if you do not have valid insurance accepted by Onipa at the time of service. Late cancelations and no-shows are not payable by insurance. The fees are charged directly to you for the full amount. Please see onipa.com/ for details. Please message us immediately with any changes to your credit card payment method or to request a new insurance verification.
Billing Frequently Asked Questions
Counseling/psychotherapy appointments must be canceled more than 48 hours in advance, except in the case of true emergency (accident, acute sickness, etc). Our full, standard fee will be charged for last minute cancellations that are not due to a true emergency.
Testing appointments must be canceled at least 3 business days in advance, except in the case of true emergencies. Testing cancellations made less than 3 days in advance will result in a charge of $275. Our psychologists set aside many hours in their schedule to accommodate testing, and this fee is only a partial reimbursement for the time.
Fee increases: During the course of treatment, it may become necessary to increase fees. Fees will be reviewed periodically and will be increased no more than once during any calendar year.
Fee reductions: Onipa does not have a sliding fee scale; however, Onipa, may agree to reduced fees under certain circumstances, such as sudden unemployment, loss of health insurance, etc., that occur during the course of treatment. Such fee reductions should be documented in writing with a signed agreement kept in your records to avoid misunderstanding about fees and payment schedule.
You incur the billing fee when your appointment is confirmed and not cancelled 24-48 hours before the session time.
Payment is due in full at the time of service except for clients on auto-billing.
Auto-billed clients are automatically charged overnight for any appointments confirmed on schedule.
If there is a last minute therapist conflict charges can be refunded or applied to the next scheduled session.
To be an Onipa client you must keep an active, valid, and funded (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express) credit card on file.
See the fee schedule for fees associated with insufficient funds, expired, declined or chargeback credit card fees.
Clients with repeatedly declined credit cards must make prepayments for future dated services. Payments must be made at least 2 days prior to appointment dates via credit card, debit card or echeck.
Onipa Psychological and Consulting Services may use or disclose PHI for other purposes when your appropriate authorization is obtained. For your own protection, we cannot accept verbal authorization for release of information.
You may revoke all authorizations at any time, provided each revocation is in writing. You may not revoke an authorization to the extent that we have relied on that authorization.
- Right to request restrictions — You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information. However, we are not required to agree to a restriction you request.
- Right to receive confidential communications by alternative means and at alternative locations — You have the right to request and receive confidential communications of PHI by alternative means and at alternative locations. (For example, you may not want a family member to know that you are receiving services here.) On your request, the Onipa can send your bills to another address.
- Right to inspect and copy — You have the right to inspect or obtain a copy (or both) of PHI in our mental health and billing records used to make decisions about you for as long as the PHI is maintained in the record. We may deny your access to PHI under certain circumstances, but in some cases you may have this decision reviewed. You have the right to inspect or obtain a copy (or both) of psychotherapy notes unless we believe the disclosure of the record will be injurious to your health. On your request, we will discuss with you the details of the request and denial process for both PHI and psychotherapy notes.
- Right to amend — You have the right to request an amendment of PHI for as long as the PHI is maintained in the record. We may deny your request. If you make such a request, we will discuss with you the details of the amendment process.
- Right to an accounting — You generally have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of PHI. On your request, your clinician will discuss with you the details of the accounting process.
- Right to a paper copy — You have the right to obtain a paper copy of the notice from Onipa, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically.
Insurance companies generally do NOT cover premarital counseling. These are self-pay services. For married couple check with your insurance carrier to see if couple’s therapy is covered. Many providers do not include couple’s therapy in mental health benefits.
Both attendees accept financial responsibility for couple’s sessions.
Yes, you can save up and make pre-payments towards future sessions. Make your payments/co-payments in full or in increments before your sessions. Have your pre-payment applied to future sessions you’d like to schedule.
Contact our billing support team to set up a weekly or monthly pre-payment plan.
If the office is open for business, we will follow our normal cancellation policy and will charge for missed appointments. You will not be charged if the County issues warnings to stay off the roads.
For virtual sessions, emergency closings do not apply but weather related outages may affect appointment availability. You will not be charged for sessions missed because of area outages.
Presently Onipa Psychological and Consulting Services is an in-network provider with BlueCross Blue Shield. Beginning December 31, 2021 at 11:59 PM we no longer accept new requests for CIGNA nor AETNA. If you are an existing client with CIGNA and AETNA billed in 2021 you may cycle off of service by March 31st or June 30th with the extension.
Our services are covered by most health insurance plans that cover out-of-network providers. It is the responsibility of the client to communicate directly with his or her insurance company regarding coverage or reimbursement issues.
Privacy Policy and HIPAA
The following information describes how psychological and medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully. This information is part of our clinic’s compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Uses and disclosures for treatment, payment and health care operations
Onipa Psychological and Consulting Services may use or disclose your protected health information (PHI) for treatment, payment and health care operations purposes only with your written authorization.
Your clinician may use or disclose PHI without your consent or authorization in the following circumstances:
- Child abuse — If your clinician has reason to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect, they must, by law, report this belief to the appropriate authorities.
- Abuse of dependent adult — Your clinician may disclose protected health information if they reasonably believe that you are a victim or perpetrator of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a dependent adult.
- Health oversight activities — If your clinician receives a subpoena from any professional Board of Examiners investigating this practice, your clinician must disclose any PHI requested by the Board.
- Judicial and administrative proceedings — If you are involved in a court proceeding and a request is made for information about your diagnosis and treatment or the records thereof, such information is privileged under state law. Onipa Psychological and Consulting Services will not release information without your written authorization or a court order. However, the privacy privilege does not apply when you are being evaluated by a third party or where the evaluation is court-ordered. You will be informed of this in advance if this is the case. Your PHI might also be required to be disclosed in legal proceedings where the judge believes that confidential information is necessary to the proper administration of justice; in legal proceedings where a client’s mental status is at issue; in legal proceedings requesting information on therapy sessions that took place in a family or couples session.
- Serious threat to health or safety — If you communicate to your clinician a specific threat of imminent harm against yourself or another individual, or if your clinician believes that there is clear, imminent risk of physical or mental injury being inflicted, your clinician may make disclosures necessary to protect you or that individual from harm.
- Competent health care practice — If you are a licensed health care provider and a therapist believes that you are unable to practice competently, or pose a danger to your patients/clients due to substance abuse and/or emotional disturbance.
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy of PHI and to provide you with a notice of legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI.
- We reserve the right to change the privacy policies and practices described in this notice. Unless we notify you of such changes, however, we are required to abide by the terms currently in effect.
- If we revise our policies and procedures, a notice of updated procedures will be sent to the address we have on file for you.
If you are concerned that your privacy rights have been violated or you disagree with a decision that has been made regarding access to your records, you may contact:
NC Psychology Board, 895 State Farm Rd #101, Boone, NC 28607
You may also send a written complaint to the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
If your insurance lapses or your insurance company doesn’t pay, then by receiving therapy you are accepting financial responsibility for the cost of services.
If you opt-out and do not authorize a credit card to be maintained on file or the autopayment system, you agree to the following fee schedule if you access services.
- $325 – The first session Diagnostic Assessment.
- $225 All following psychological counseling therapy sessions
