![]() The therapist must pay for the building they are in, utilities for that building, salaries for employees, business and office supplies, and possibly even insurance for employees. While seeing a therapist face-to-face at a one-on-one practice may be the more traditional way to have counseling, it tends to be more expensive. If you don't qualify for the low fees, there are other mental health resources, such as community mental health clinics and online therapy platforms. The sliding scale rules may be listed on an agreement that you sign with the therapist or their staff. Some require that you notify the office within a certain amount of time if your financial situation changes. Other sliding scales may take your word for your income and set sliding scale fees based on that. A sliding scale may require you to verify income with a pay stub. Not every practice with a sliding fee scale has the same rules. In many cases, it's less expensive to pay out of pocket with a sliding scale fee than to use your health insurance. Also, even though a practice may accept insurance, many insurance companies do not cover most mental health care, or they only cover a small percentage. With those who offer sliding scale fees, you don't typically get a reduced fee for your copays or deductibles. Sliding scales are designed for people who are paying for the service themselves directly to a one-on-one practice, therapy center, social worker, or other mental health professional rather than those who are paying through an insurance company. If you meet the sliding fee scale criteria to receive affordable therapy, you'll pay lower fees based on your level of need. Determining how much you'll pay is a straightforward process for the therapist's office staff. If you feel you can't pay the full price, you can present your income information and number of dependents to a provider who can offer sliding scale rates. Do You Qualify For Sliding Scale Therapy? The sliding scales and billing are often handled by the accounting personnel of the one-on-one practice rather than the mental health professionals themselves. Many therapists who offer sliding scale rates do not even know who pays using the sliding fee scales. They make no difference in the way they treat you or the time they spend in sliding fee sessions. Whether you pay the full cost of your sessions or a reduced fee, the providers at your selected therapy center give you the same standard of high-quality care as clients who pay full price. In most cases, the therapist's office personnel will apply the scale to your situation and take care of the paperwork to provide affordable counseling services for you and/or your family once you pay the sliding scale fees. The sliding scale rates are just a way of determining how much you pay for your selected therapy options. Sliding scales, of course, can vary for each one-on-one practice, but in the U.S., they are usually dictated by the Federal Poverty Guidelines and the Bureau of Primary Healthcare, a United States department within the Health Services & Resources Administration (HSRA) These numbers, or the set sliding scale fees, take into account the client’s salary as well as the therapist salary. For example, in an office where the full price is $175 per hour or per session, if you make less than $50,000 per year, your fees may be $75 per hour, but if you have an annual income of $120,000 per year, you may pay full price per session. If you're facing financial challenges that hinder your ability to pay, you'll be provided a reduced rate. If you have enough money to pay the full cost of therapy, you will be billed at the therapist's standard fee. ![]() ![]() ![]() The therapist sets up one sliding fee scale that is used for all their clients.
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