BILLING AND PAYMENT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

We have assembled some of our most commonly asked questions to support you in the financial side of your mental health care. If you have a questions regarding billing and payments that is not answered here, please message us at billing@thehealinggroup.com

Why are you adding a convenience fee for card payments?

The medical and mental health landscape has dramatically changed in the past two years. While inflation has gone up, many insurance providers have opted to reduce reimbursement rates rather than increase them for their in-network providers. In order for us to support our clients, our clinicians and our administrative team members, we have to find alternative ways to lower our costs in order to provide the services we currently offer. One way we are able to lower costs is by adding ACH as an alternate and preferred form of payment and adding a convenience fee for the use of cards. Up to this point we have built in the cost of costly and increasing merchant fees to our service fee, however, as in-network providers for various insurance companies we do not get to determine our service fees that cover our costs.

How do I avoid the convenience fee?

Simply email our billing team to fill out the ACH form and designate this as your preferred method of payment.

How much is my convenience fee if I choose to use a card?

We will be charging a $3 flat rate each time we run your card. We will not run your card if your balance owed is <$5 If you would like to avoid this additional fee, please fill out the ACH form to make this your preferred method of payment.

Can I use my FSA/HSA Card?

You can absolutely use your FSA and HSA funds, however, we will no longer be able to accept your cards as a form of payment. The reason for this is we regularly have to charge additional fees such as late cancel, no show and convenience fees that do not qualify for FSA/HSA. To use your funds, simply request to receive a service receipt known as a “superbill” which has all of the information needed for reimbursement. Each HSA/FSA company will handle this differently, so check the website for yours to learn how to submit for reimbursement.

Why are you charging a flat rate instead of a percentage?

One of the core values of The Healing Group is leading with an ecosystem mindset. We want to support everyone in our system in the most equitable way. Our fees are the same for all clients, however, some have the benefit of using insurance to cover some of the costs. Charging a percentage on a copay vs. self pay is significantly different despite having the same cost of service. Having a flat rate ensures that everyone is being charged the same fee for the convenience of using a credit card. Whether you have a copay or are paying the full fee, you will pay the same rate and The Healing Group will split the difference with you.

Is my debit card a lower fee?

While debit cards can run directly through your checking by using a PIN, in our system they run as a credit card. If you would like to avoid paying the convenience fee please fill out the ACH form and designate this as your preferred method of payment.

Can you hold off on running my payment until my payday?

Unfortunately not. All payments are due at the time of service. If you are utilizing ACH as your main form of payment, please ensure you have funds available for up to 5 days after your session to avoid overdraft fees.

What’s the difference between a convenience fee and a surcharge?

This is a subtle but important difference! It is against card policies for most major credit cards to charge a surcharge. A surcharge is an additional fee applied for using a credit card to pay without an alternative way to pay that won’t incur the fee. A convenience fee is a fee added for the convenience of using a credit card with alternative ways to pay that don’t add on additional fees.

Can I pay you in cash or check? Venmo? Zelle?

We do not accept cash or check, Venmo or Zelle. The methods of payment we currently accept are all major credit cards and ACH.

How will you charge a late cancellation or no show fee?

We will charge whatever you have provided to us as your preferred method of payment.

Will the funds come out of my checking account the same day as my service?

No! Funds can take up to 5 days to be pulled from your account so please ensure you have enough funds to cover your session fee for up to 5 days after your session. Per our policies, you will be responsible for any overdraft fees and costs associated with not having funds available.

Why not just increase your rates?

Accepting insurance is one way in which we make our services accessible to those in the community. While we can adjust self pay rates as the market changes, we are unable to adjust our insurance reimbursement rates to match market changes. Not only does it put undue burden on our self pay clients, those increases wouldn’t make up for reimbursement differences with insurance. In order to continue to accept insurance and process payment cards, we need to pass along a portion of these merchant fees.