1. Do you accept insurance?

Yes. Many, not all, clinicians at The Family Institute are in-network providers with BlueCross BlueShield PPO and Medicare. Other health insurance providers also cover services at The Family Institute through their out-of-network benefits.

Many health insurance plans do include out-of-network benefits for behavioral health, but the specifics of coverage vary greatly. We encourage you to contact your health insurance provider and inquire about your out-of-network benefits for behavioral health.

2. What does it mean to be in-network?

"In-network" means that clinicians and health insurance providers have signed a contract and have agreed to a rate for services. Clinician profile pages indicate if they are in-network with BCBS PPO and Medicare.

In some cases, your behavioral health benefits may be covered by a third-party vendor. This means that while your medical benefits may be covered under BCBS PPO, your behavioral health benefits may be covered by another provider (i.e. United Behavioral Health, Magellan, Compsych, etc.) and would be considered out-of-network.

3. What does it mean to be out-of-network?

"Out-of-network" means that clinicians and health insurance providers have not signed a contract and have not agreed to a rate for services. This does not necessarily mean that behavioral health services are not covered by your health insurance provider.

Health insurance providers such as Aetna, Cigna or United Healthcare consider services received at The Family Institute as out-of-network. Additionally, if you have BCBC PPO, but are seeing a clinician not on the BCBS PPO panel (BCBS is not listed on their profile page), services are considered out of network.

Specifics of out-of-network benefits for behavioral health vary greatly by insurance plan. We encourage you to contact your health insurance provider and inquire about your out-of-network benefits for behavioral health.

4. How do I pay for services at The Family Institute if the clinician I am seeing is out-of-network for my insurance plan?

Clients who are seeing a clinician who is out-of-network with their insurance plan are responsible for full payment for the services received at The Family Institute. Clients can pay in cash, by check, credit/debit card and/or with their FSA/HSA account (see Q6-Q7).

  • Aetna/United Healthcare/Cigna: You pay The Family Institute directly and in full at the time of service and we can then submit a claim to your insurance provider on your behalf to request that they reimburse you based on the specifics of your out-of-network coverage.
  • BCBS PPO (if you are seeing a clinician who does not have BCBS listed on their profile page): You pay The Family Institute directly and in full at the time of service. Please complete this request form and we will provide you with a detailed statement to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement based on the specifics of your out-of-network coverage. You can also contact our Client Care Center (847-733-4300, option 3) to request necessary documentation. Unfortunately, we cannot submit out-of-network claims to this plan at this time.
  • All other insurance plans (Magellan, Harken Health, Beacon Health, etc.): You pay The Family Institute directly and in full at the time of service. Please complete this request form and we will provide you with a detailed statement to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement based on the specifics of your out-of-network coverage. You can also contact our Client Care Center (847-733-4300, option 3) to request necessary documentation. Unfortunately, we cannot submit out-of-network claims to these plans at this time.

5. How much will my insurance reimburse me if I am seeing a therapist who is out-of-network for my insurance plan?

The Family Institute does not specify a reimbursement rate to the insurance provider and is not made aware of the reimbursement amount. The reimbursement amount clients receive, if any, depends solely on the specifics of their health insurance policy and can vary greatly by plan and employer. Clients may receive no reimbursement or nearly full reimbursement depending on the coverage included in your plan. Please contact your insurance provider if you have any questions about your plan benefits and reimbursement.

6. Can I use my Health Savings Account (HSA) and/or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to pay for therapy?

You may use your Health Savings Account (HSA) and/or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to pay for therapy. Services received at The Family Institute are qualifying medical expenses for these accounts.

If you are not familiar with these accounts, check with your employer as you may have access to one or both options. The two plans work similarly. An employee determines the amount they want to contribute to their account. Because the funds are deposited into the account on a pre-tax basis, employees reduce their tax liability.

7. Can I use out-of-network benefits and HSA/FSA?

Yes. HSA/FSA accounts typically provide a debit card that you can use to pay The Family Institute at the time of service. If you have provided us with your health insurance information from a major healthcare provider (Q4a) at the time of registration, we will submit a reimbursement claim to them after each session. If your plan offers out-of-network reimbursement for behavioral health, your insurance provider will send you a reimbursement. The reimbursement amount depends on your specific coverage and out-of-network benefits.

8. What if I am seeing multiple clinicians at The Family Institute?

If you are seeing multiple clinicians at The Family Institute, please make sure you are registered with each clinician separately (see Q10 about updating your insurance information).

If you have BCBS PPO, please note that not all clinicians at The Family Institute are considered in-network, so depending on your clinicians, there might be a different billing process for each. If BCBS is not listed on your clinician's profile page, services are considered out of network (see Q4). You can also check with your clinician(s) directly about in-network coverage.

9. How can I update my insurance information?

If you are a current client at The Family Institute but have not provided us with your insurance information at the time of registration or it has changed, we ask you that you contact our Client Care Center (847-733-4300, option 3) to update your information or stop by reception at your next visit.

10. How do I follow up about my reimbursement?

To inquire about reimbursement, you need to contact your health insurance provider. The Family Institute's billing coordinators cannot see the specifics of your coverage and, therefore, cannot see the status of your reimbursement. We can only confirm that your claim has been submitted.

11. How can I get reimbursement for previous sessions?

Out-of-network billing for major insurance plans is a new process for The Family Institute. If you would like to seek reimbursement for previous sessions, please complete this request form and we will provide you with a detailed statement to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement based on the specifics of your out-of-network coverage. You can also contact our Client Care Center (847-733-4300, option 3) to request necessary documentation.