Payment and Insurance

In Network With:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBS) PPO Plan
Aetna Network
Aetna State Health Plan (SHP)

Dr. Prasad-Gaur will submit insurance claims on your behalf if she is in-network with your insurance provider. Additionally, she will accept the fee schedule as outlined in the contract with your insurance plan.

For all other insurance plans, you can contact your insurance provider to inquire about coverage for “out-of-network” or “non-participating provider” benefits. Depending on your plan, Dr. Prasad-Gaur can provide you with the necessary documentation to pursue full or partial reimbursement.

Understanding Self-Payment vs. Health Insurance

Choosing how to pay for psychological services is an important decision. Understanding your mental health coverage, along with the pros and cons of self-payment versus using health insurance, will help you make an informed choice.

Self-Payment: When paying out-of-pocket, you maintain full control over the type of care and choice of therapist, ensuring complete privacy and confidentiality. However, this option can be costly.

As of January 1, 2022, all healthcare providers are required to provide cost estimates for care when not directly filing with the insurance company. Dr. Prasad-Gaur will provide a Good Faith Estimate upon agreement of services or upon request. While it can be challenging to predict the exact number of sessions needed to achieve your child or teen’s treatment goals, she is committed to being as transparent as possible regarding the cost of treatment.

Health Insurance: Using insurance reduces out-of-pocket expenses but typically requires authorization for mental health services, which may involve a psychiatric diagnosis to qualify the treatment as “medically necessary.” Additionally, insurance companies often require the release of certain confidential information (e.g., dates of service, diagnosis) to process claims.

Payment Options

Payment is required at the time of service. Dr. Prasad-Gaur accepts cash, check, HSA (Health Savings Account), and credit cards for in-person visits. For teletherapy, payments can be made securely via IvyPay, a HIPAA-compliant payment app.