Good Faith Estimate

Blackstone Counseling PLLC Counseling

Good Faith Estimate

Beginning January 1, 2022, federal laws regulating client care have been updated to include the “No Surprises” Act. Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services called a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) explaining how much your medical care will cost.

This new regulation is designed to provide transparency to patients regarding their expected medical expenses and to protect them from surprises when they receive their medical bills. It allows patients to understand how much their health care will cost before they receive services.

There are several factors that make It challenging to provide an estimate on how long it will take for a client to complete therapeutic treatment, and much depends on the individual client and their goals in seeking therapy. Some clients are satisfied with a reduction in symptoms while others continue longer because it feels beneficial to do so. Others begin to schedule less frequently and may continue to come in for “maintenance” or when issues arise. Ultimately, as the client, it is your decision when to stop therapy.

At Blackstone Counseling, we must provide a diagnosis for all clients for both legal and insurance reasons -- as well as required by the "No Surprises Act".  A formal diagnosis occurs after an assessment has been completed. That will take place 1-5 sessions after beginning psychotherapy. If you choose to decline a formal diagnosis, we will not update the GFE. It is within your rights to decline a diagnosis per state and federal guidelines.

Common Diagnosis Codes at Blackstone Counseling Below are common diagnosis codes; however, the list is not exhaustive. With that said, diagnosis codes can change based on many factors. Please speak to your therapist with any questions or concerns.

• Adjustment Disorder (F43.23)
• Mental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (F99)
• Depression (F32.9)
• Anxiety (F41.1)
• Bipolar (F31.9)
• PTSD/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (F43.10)

Blackstone Counseling recognizes every client's therapy journey is unique. 
How long you need to engage in therapy and how often you attend sessions will be influenced by many factors including

• Your schedule and life circumstances
• Therapist availability
• Ongoing life challenges
• The nature of your specific challenges and how you address them
• Personal finances

You and your therapist will continually assess the appropriate frequency of therapy and will work together to determine when you have met your goals and are ready for discharge and/or a new "Good Faith Estimate" will be issued should your frequency or needs change.

According to the American Psychological Association, “on average 15 to 20 sessions are required for 50 percent of patients to recover as indicated by self-reported symptom measures”. Additionally, they state that through the working relationship between the client and counselor sometimes the preference is for “longer periods (e.g., 20 to 30 sessions over six months), to achieve more complete symptom remission and to feel confident in the skills needed to maintain treatment gains”. 

So, it depends on several factors because everyone has unique counseling goals. Like any other relationship, it takes time to develop a therapeutic relationship with your counselor and identify your treatment goals, establish a plan of action, and work towards accomplishing them. Whatever your number of sessions will be, we will work together to meet your needs.

 We look forward to talking with you and answering any questions you may have about the “No Surprises” Act and Good Faith Estimates.

Notice: You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost