Professional Fees and Services

The charge for most services is based on the time required. One of the nice things about a time-based rate is that you completely determine and control what you spend. Many clients start by booking just one consultation - in fact, that's what I recommend.

Since Dr. Sussman is a licensed professionals, his services may be covered by your insurance policies. However, see the separate discussion under "Insurance" to understand why many of our clients decide not to use their insurance even if they have it. We can discuss this with you when we talk.

Dr. Sussman is happy to accept patients covered by traditional Medicare.

Visa, Master Card, Discover, and American Express are also welcome, and you can get started by reserving just one session, so there is no reason to wait any longer to get the expert help you need.

Are You Covered by My Insurance?

Dr. Sussman accepts traditional Medicare as a full participating provider. If you have given up your traditional Medicare for one of the so-called private Medicare Advantage policies, we will need to check with your insurance company to see what benefits they would provide for you to see Dr. Sussman as an out-of-network licensed psychologist.

Many health insurance policies include an out-of-network benefit. For non-Medicare health insurance policies, we would need to determine what reimbursement you might receive for Dr. Sussman's professional services as a licensed psychologist.

Many clients choose NOT to use their insurance coverage, even when they have it. Here's why.

Even if you have some insurance coverage for counseling or psychotherapy, you may decide it is better not to use it. (Many clients do exactly that). Why? There are several reasons.

First, even where there is some insurance coverage, most policies provide for very limited services. You might have a plan that pays something like 50% of fees with a maximum of $1,000 per year (after your deductible is met). Or you may have a plan that limits the number of sessions per year to a very small number. In either case, most of the time, you will find that your insurance coverage doesn’t amount to much to begin with.

Second, if you do choose to use your insurance, you will usually be giving up both your privacy and your right to decide what help you want to receive. When you file an insurance claim, you give the insurance company the right to review your records. This data gets stored in a database for future use. The company often closely manages the services you receive, determining both the nature and the extent of those services.

In short, by using your insurance, you end up giving up a lot of privacy and control over your life for very little financial benefit.

So before you become a client, I will go over all of the options with you, and, with an understanding of all of the facts, you'll be able to make the best, fully-informed decision for you.

Advances in Online Consultation

Can I Talk to You Confidentially?

As licensed professionals, we subscribe to and are subject to the highest ethical standards of our profession. Because of this, you can be assured that all of our services will be conducted professionally, ethically, and with the utmost regard for your well-being.

You should be aware that there are laws protecting your privacy and regulating the extent if any to which your information may be disclosed. We take confidentiality very seriously, and we do everything in our power to make sure the work we do with you stays between just the two of us.

Insurance Companies: As discussed under “Insurance”, you give up substantial rights to privacy and confidentiality when you decide to use a health insurance policy for the payment of professional services. In most cases, health insurance may not pay very much anyway, and you'll want to consider whether it is in your best interests to use insurance even if you have it. We'll be happy to discuss this important topic further with you before you become a client.

Confidentiality is an important issue for us and for you. Please let us know if there is anything you need to clarify, or if there are any other concerns you would like to address. In all cases, we will discuss and clarify any issues with you prior to or at your first appointment.

Ethical Standards

As licensed professionals, we subscribe to and are subject to the highest ethical standards of our profession. Because of this, you can be assured that all of our services will be conducted professionally, ethically, and with the utmost regard for your well-being.