Are you a DIY person or a I’ll-just-buy-it person?

I have friends that LOVE scouring pinterest for their next project. Curtains?! No problem, they have about a million ideas and a sewing machine ready.

It’s about a personal touch and crafting those curtains exactly the way they want (at least that’s what I imagine, because…).

Me? I LOVE scouring the internet for the exact thing I want. Curtains?! No problem, I have a shopping cart and a debit card ready.

It’s about skipping the how-do-I-do-this and having the exact curtains I want.

And just like that two people who want the same thing went about it in two very different ways.

That’s private practice and payment options for you, too!

Private-pay or Accepting Insurance.

Neither method is wrong, they’re just different.

Let’s think about a Private Pay Practice as a DIY person and Accepting Insurance as an I’ll-just-buy-it person.

PRIVATE PAY

At the end of the day a DIY person is willing to go the extra mile to have things their way and personalized. But they get to enjoy the benefit of knowing their curtains are exactly the way they want and they made them!

In a similar manner Private-pay Practices go the extra mile to find and book clients but have the potential to earn more money, receive payment sooner, and have less administration and follow up work.

Private-pay practices do not have a natural referral source established in their business from insurance (or doctors who accept insurance sending them clients). From finding their clients, recieveing payment, and conducting sessions the fingerprints of the owner of a private pay practices are on everything.

Pros

• Potential to make more money
• Quicker Payment
• Less Administration/Follow Up

Cons

• Limited range of clients
• Build your practice quicker
• Lacking natural referral source

If you’re leaning towards a private-pay practice, set up a call with us. We’ve got a list of HIPPA compliant platforms to conduct sessions online, handle payments, and store records in one easy monthly payment.

ACCEPTING INSURANCE

I’ll-just-buy-it people would scour the internet a little longer and pay a little extra to find exactly what they want and have it delivered to them without having to do anything once it arrives. While this means they don’t have to do ANYTHING once their curtains arrive (except for hanging them up) they don’t get to put their personal touch on them.

Practices that choose to accept insurance do extra paperwork, agree to accept the payment amount an insurance company provides. But they also enjoy the credibility that comes with being associated with an insurance company, referral sources, and a wider range of clients (because they are not limited to only the clients that can afford them).

If building a therapy practice that accepts insurance is the way you want to go, let us know! We’ve got credentialing partners to connect you with that will allow you to be approved faster and serve more people (we all know insurance can take FOREVER, let us help you speed it up – at least the getting approved part).

Pros

• Credibility
• Referral Source
• Wider range of clients

Cons

• Additional paperwork
• Must accept what insurance pays
• Need to collect copayment/co-insurance

If you’re just starting out as an online therapist we believe you would do well to accept insurance until you develop a reputation and referral base.

In many areas such as mine- where it is very rural, not many people can afford self pay.

If you’re still on the fence The Practice of the Practice has an incredible round up of therapists personal opinion in regards to having a Private-Pay or Accepting insurance.

Whether you’re a DIY person or a I’ll-just-buy-it person…

How would you like to have a platform that not only keeps all your information and your clients information but ALSO keeps track of insurance info and billing?!  

Pretty sweet, right?!

All our clients get access to a HIPPA compliant platform that does all of that AND MORE.

What are you waiting for? Book a call with us to see if we can help you make your practice simple!