Insurance and Fee Information

My established business hours are Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm CST / 10am-6pm EST. Any appointments scheduled outside these business hours will incur a surcharge to compensate for the scheduling compromises I am making to accommodate the request. The surcharge applies to any appointments accommodated on Fridays and Monday-Friday at/after 5pm CST / 6pm EST.

• 50 minute Individual Psychotherapy = $200

• 50 minute Couples/Family Psychotherapy = $250

• 90 minute initial evaluation = $360

• Exceptional Hours Surcharge (Fridays and M-Th sessions extending past 5pm CST) = $50

• Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation for ED, SUD, or OCD = $500

  [2 hour level of care evaluation that includes treatment placement recommendations]

• Extended (alternative) session time accommodations are pro-rated within 15 minute increments, based on a 45 minute hourly standard (60 minute, 75 minute, 90 minutes, etc.)

• 30 minute sessions are available only as a supplemental service to ongoing weekly appointments, and are reserved for established clients

• Administrative fees apply for document review, document provision, and family or treatment team communication by phone or email correspondence. These fees are billed at the rate of $25/15 minutes of billable hours

• All fees are clearly outlined in my fee disclosure form, available upon request to any current clients

• 50 minute Individual Psychotherapy = $225

• 50 minute Couples/Family Psychotherapy = $300

• 90 minute initial evaluation = $400

• Exceptional Hours Surcharge (Fridays and M-Th sessions extending past 6pm EST) = $50

• Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation for ED, SUD, or OCD = $550

  [2 hour level of care evaluation that includes treatment placement recommendations]

• Extended (alternative) session time requests are pro-rated within 15 minute increments, based on a 45 minute hourly standard (60 minute, 75 minute, 90 minutes, etc.)

• 30 minute sessions are available only as a supplemental service to ongoing weekly appointments, and are reserved for established clients

• Administrative fees apply for document review, document provision, and family or treatment team communication by phone or email correspondence. These fees are billed at the rate of $25/15 minutes of billable hours

• All fees are clearly outlined in my fee disclosure form, available upon request to any current clients

I am an out of network provider with all insurance contracts. This means I do not directly accept insurance or interface with insurance representatives. My clients pay my full service fee at the time of service.

For an out-of-network provider, the current outpatient mental health benefit for NU students and faculty is as follows: $20 copay each session with 80% coverage for the insurance allowed rate (variant between $100-$150).

Remember: benefits typically only apply after you have met your deductible. Please see the next section outlining what to ask your insurance company when seeking information regarding therapy reimbursement.

Information to have on hand when calling your insurance company

1. Insurance ID number

2. Contact and Provider Information for Sara Watts 

• Address of service: 1603 Orrington Ave Suite 600 Evanston, IL 60201

• Direct Phone: (773) 983-2344 

• National Provider Identification number (NPI): 1407138159

• Tax ID: 82-5411247

Questions to ask your insurance company

1. What is my out-of-network benefit for outpatient mental health? 

2. Is a pre-authorization for services required? 

3. How many sessions do I get under this benefit? 

4. Is Sara Watts an acceptable provider for this benefit?

5. What is the deductible? (Note: until the deductible is paid in full, you will typically still need to pay most providers their full fee, even those within your insurance network. For example, if your deductible is $5,000 and a provider in your network has a session fee of $200, you will still have to pay the full $200 per session until you have fulfilled the $5,000 deductible). 

6. What is the policy year (i.e. Jan 1– Dec 31)? 

7. How much of the deductible has been met this year to date? 

8. How do I get reimbursed directly once my deductible has been met? 

9. To what mailing address, e-mail address, or fax number should I send superbills?

For Lyra referred clients, your initial employee-sponsored sessions are 100% fully covered.

The only exception is if you do not show to your appointment or you cancel with less than 24 hours notice. In instances of missed appointments/late cancellations, you will incur a no show/cancellation fee that is equivalent to the session fee. Some Lyra policies cover one late cancel/no show appointment, and some cover none. If Lyra does not cover your missed appointment, the credit card on file + applicable credit card processing fees will be charged for your missed appointment.

Some Lyra clients are eligible for continuing and unlimited weekly therapy sessions, sponsored by your employer’s Lyra contract. Please reach out to me for more information or to clarify your unique financial arrangement with my practice.

Payment may be made by Zelle transfer free of charge. Should you elect to use a credit card, credit card processing fees apply. Credit card processing fees are currently 3.25% + $0.30 for each successful transaction. The fee applies to all major credit, debit, FSA, and HSA cards, and ensures secure, integrated payment processing.

Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice will be considered a late cancellation and incur a cancellation fee. Monday cancellations need to be cancelled by the session time on the prior Friday, as Saturday/Sunday are non-working days for my practice. The late cancellation fee is equivalent to the missed session rate, as this is billable time that may have been allotted to another client otherwise. If a client is more than 15 minutes late to a session, the session will be considered a late cancellation.

If you are any more than 15 minutes late to your session, the session will be considered a late cancellation and you will be billed the full session fee. You will not be guaranteed a partial session if you are more than 15 minutes late. A pattern of tardiness, as well as shorter session durations is considered treatment-interfering behavior and will negatively impact the efficacy of our work and time together.

I provide monthly superbills, which are detailed receipts of service. Superbills are inclusive of all medical information necessary to fulfill eligibility for insurance reimbursement. You may submit these superbills to your insurance carrier to seek potential reimbursement.

My decision to be an out of network provider is highly intentional. Insurance dictates which therapeutic approaches, treatment timelines, and costs they choose to cover or endorse. Insurance operates within a generalized and generic framework, discounting countless relevant clinical factors that are specific to you. Insurance barriers for providers are deeply rooted in low and stagnant reimbursement rates, non- payment for administrative work hours, and slow payment processing time.

Within a private pay structure, I can ensure I will provide the best, most indicated treatment interventions on the best, most indicated timeline for YOU. If we need to shift our therapeutic focus to more acute life circumstances, we can. If we need to do exposures outside of my office, we can. If you need a longer session, I can accommodate that. If you need more than one session in a week, I can accommodate that. I understand privately paying for therapy is a significant investment, and I do not take your commitment to working with me within this pay structure lightly. I strive to elevate the private pay benefits to a level that offsets the burden of insurance-based restrictions and limitations.

Very simply, the No Surprises Act protects the patient from being billed for any additional charges beyond what is explicitly disclosed in our initial intake documents. No bill should be a surprise. A comprehensive outline of all clinical fees is available upon request to all current clients. For any additional information, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises