Payment Methods & Insurance Information
Clear, Honest Pricing for Mental Health Services in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia
How Do I Pay for Therapy Sessions?
Payment Requirements
You must pay in full at the time of your visit for all sessions and extra fees. We accept major credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. We also take HSA or FSA cards that have a credit card logo. Your payment details are kept safe and hidden in our secure, encrypted electronic medical records system.
What Insurance Plans Are Accepted?
In-Network Coverage
We are currently in-network with these mental health plans:
- CareFirst NCA and NCAS (including other out of area Blue Cross Blue Shield plans that default to NCA and NCAS network when in the DC metro area, please verifiy with your plan)
- DC Optum
- DC Cigna
When you use these in-network options, we send the insurance claims straight to the company for you. You only need to pay your normal copay, coinsurance, or deductible amount at your session.
Call your insurance company or log into your online account to check your mental health benefits. Make sure they cover care under the name “Joseph LaFleur” or “Joseph LaFleur and Associates.” Ask about your exact copays, remaining deductibles, and if you need special approval first. Plans can be very different, so checking your benefits is your responsibility before we meet.
Out-of-Network Coverage
All Other Insurance Plans — For any insurance company not listed above, we are an out-of-network provider. This means you pay the full session cost at your appointment. We will send the claims online for you whenever we can so your insurance company can pay you back directly. If you want, we are happy to give you a detailed statement every month for your own files.
Common insurance codes: 90791 (first intake visit) and 90837 (regular therapy session).
Self-Pay Rates
| Service | Code | Duration | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Visit / Assessment | 90791 | 16–60 minutes | $205 |
| Regular Session | 90837 | 55 minutes | $205 |
| Short Session | 90834 | 35–45 minutes | $185 |
| Short Consultation | 90832 | Up to 30 minutes | $150 |
Family and relationship therapy is also open ($205 for 55 minutes; we can talk about longer sessions if needed).
Sliding scale fees may be open to you if you are having hard financial times. Please mention this during your first visit.
How Does Insurance Billing Work?
In-Network Process
Be sure to check your insurance coverage before your first visit. At every appointment, you will pay your regular copay, coinsurance, or deductible amount. We take care of sending all the claims straight to CareFirst, Optum, or Cigna. You will not have to handle extra insurance paperwork.
Out-of-Network Process
You pay the full session price at every visit. We send the electronic insurance claims for you when possible. Your insurance company will then pay you back directly. We can also give you monthly bills if you need them for your records or taxes.
Financial Considerations & Payment Policies
Clear, Fair Mental Health Care
We know that going to therapy is a major financial investment in your health and life. Our office wants to keep prices clear and honest. We aim to work with you to make mental health services as open as possible while keeping our business running smoothly. We hold clear payment rules so we can continue giving high-quality care to everyone while offering flexibility when we can.
Our Promise for Affordable Care
We point out all session costs, copays, and payment details clearly before your treatment starts. There are no hidden fees or surprise costs. We give you a clear look at your insurance options and out-of-pocket costs, and we will talk with you openly if any payment paths change.
Financial Help Options
We offer lower sliding scale fees for people facing real financial hardships. We can also build payment plans for self-pay clients if we set them up ahead of time. We help you read and use your insurance options well, and we offer flexible session times to work around your job so you do not lose work hours.
Rules for Financial Help: You must share your true financial situation with us during your first visit. Please talk to us about money challenges early (instead of waiting until after you owe for sessions). You must stay committed to your payment setup and review your financial needs with us regularly.
If you have concerns about money, please bring them up during your first visit. Talking early lets us look at all payment choices, see if you qualify for lower fees, and plan a steady treatment path that fits your budget. This keeps financial stress from getting in the way of your healing process.
Waiting to talk about money problems until after you have already received services leaves us with very few ways to offer help or alter your payment paths.
If Money Problems Come Up Later
If your financial situation changes while you are in therapy, tell us right away instead of skipping payments or missing appointments. We can set up a short talk to review your choices. If needed, we can adapt your treatment plan. This might include changing how often we meet for a while, making a short-term plan to keep things steady, pointing you to low-cost community resources, or keeping up brief check-in visits until you recover. If our care becomes too costly for you, we will give you referral options to help you continue getting support elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions About Payment
“Do you accept my insurance plan?”
We are in-network with CareFirst NCA and NCAS (including other out-of-area Blue Cross Blue Shield plans that use the NCA and NCAS network when you are in the DC metro area. Please check with your plan to make sure). We also take DC Optum and DC Cigna plans. For all other insurance companies, we are out-of-network. This means you pay the full session fee at your appointment. After that, we send the claims to your insurance online for you so they can send your payback money straight to you.
“What if I don’t have insurance?”
We offer self-pay rates starting at $150 for short consultations and $205 for regular therapy sessions. If you are facing tough financial times, we might be able to lower our fees using a sliding scale.
“When do I need to pay?”
You must pay in full at the time of each visit. If you use an in-network insurance plan, this means you pay your copay or deductible amount. To make things easy, we safely store your card details in our secure, encrypted medical records system.
“Can I use my HSA or FSA card?”
Yes, you can. We accept HSA and FSA cards for mental health care as long as they have a major credit card logo on them like Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.
“Will you help with insurance paperwork?”
Yes, we will. For in-network insurance plans, we send claims straight to the company. For out-of-network plans, we send the claims online for you. You pay at your appointment, and your insurance company sends the payback money straight to you. We can also give you a clear statement every month if you ask for one.
Questions About Payment or Insurance?
We encourage open, honest talks about money concerns before they become a barrier to your mental health care.
District Counseling and Psychotherapy
2001 L Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036