Curiosities

We’ve gathered answers to some of the most common questions about our services, policies, and processes to help you better understand what to expect when working with ACE Psychological Services. We know that starting therapy or seeking psychological services can bring up many questions, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. From insurance details and session costs to appointment availability and telehealth options, our goal is to make navigating the journey toward healing and growth as smooth as possible. If you need more information beyond what you find here, please reach out—our team is happy to help.

Take the next step toward healing.

FAQ

Are you accepting new clients?

Generally speaking, yes, we are accepting new clients. However, we often have a waitlist. This varies from time to time, as does wait time.

Do you take my insurance?

Currently, we accept the following insurance plans:

Aetna
Anthem Blue Cross / Blue Shield
Cigna
Devoted Health
Humana
Medical Mutual
Medicare
Ohio Healthy
Ohio Health Choice
Ohio PPO Connect (includes MedBen and OSU The Trust)
Tricare
United Health Care / UMR

For a more comprehensive list, click here.

It is your responsibility to check with your specific plan. Even though we accept most plans, there are some specific ones that we are not paneled with. Our billing department can help if you are not sure if
we are in network.

If we are not an in-network provider, we can provide you with a “superbill” that you can submit to your insurance company to possibly get you reimbursed. Otherwise, it will go towards your out-of-network deductible.

We do accept HSA/FSA plans and are also able to accept Care Credit.

How do I become a new client?

You can become a new client by completing the contact form. This will send a message to our office administrator who will follow up with you. You can also call our front office at 740-618-8388 and leave a message with our administrator who will follow up with you. You are also welcome to email our therapists directly if you have a specific therapist you would like to work with. If that therapist has a wait, they will refer you back to the front office to be added to the waitlist. Please provide your name, availability, and a brief reason for wanting to be seen, as well as insurance, as this will help us link you up with the provider that is best for you. Please be aware that the more flexible your availability, the easier it is to be seen sooner.

Once you are paired with a therapist, you will be asked to enter your information in Therapy Appointment, which is our electronic health system. At that time you will sign informed consent and complete intake paperwork. Our billing department will follow up and ensure that your insurance will cover the sessions that are requested and should be able to identify if you have a copayment or deductible that needs to be met. We ask that you complete your paperwork within 48 hours of your initial appointment in order for billing to check your coverage.

How much does therapy cost and what if I don’t want to use my insurance?

Some people opt to not go through their insurance for various reasons. If this is you, you are welcome to pay out of pocket. Our fees vary for the type of service that is offered. If you have a high deductible plan, your cost will be whatever your insurance is contracted at, which varies among insurance plans. If that cost is too high, you can opt to see your therapist for 45 minutes instead of 60 minutes to have a lower contracted rate. Please feel free to talk to billing or your therapist if this is your option.

Therapy Appointment is asking for my credit card but I don’t want to use it. How can I manage this?

Our intake paperwork on Therapy Appointment includes an optional credit card verification form. It is encrypted through TA and is secure. We offer credit card payments as a convenience to pay your copay, which is charged within 24 hours of the date of service. However, you are welcome to pay with cash or check if you do not feel comfortable keeping a credit card on file. Checks are made payable to ACE Psychological Services and are payable on receipt of service.

Do you have any sliding scale rates?

Unfortunately at this time we do not offer sliding scale rates, as we believe it could be a disservice to other clients who are paying full service fee. However, if you would like to be put on a payment plan, please send an email or call our front office and they are more than willing to work with you on payment options.

What are your hours?

ACE Psychological Services is comprised of contractors and each therapist holds different hours. Generally speaking, there is a therapist who works every day of the week, from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm. At this time, no hours are offered on Sundays. If you need a specific time, you are welcome to call the front office to see if a therapist is available to match your availability.

Do you offer Telehealth or In Person?

We offer both Telehealth and in person, but generally, most of our therapists prefer in person. If you specifically request telehealth, let that be known in your initial contact, as some therapists do not do telehealth.

Do you see clients outside of Ohio?

At this time, none of our therapists are licensed outside of Ohio. Due to licensing laws, our clients have to be located in the state of our license.

What kinds of evaluations do you offer and how does that work?

Currently, we offer Adult (18+) ADHD testing and General Diagnostic Psychological Evaluations. Evaluations typically last 3 sessions. The first session will be a referral question and clinical interview and that will help us determine what types of tests or assessments to give. The second session is more extensive and typically lasts 3 hours or so. This is where we will actually perform testing or assessment. The last session includes follow up where we share the results with you and give you a written report.

How much are evaluations?

Our evaluations range from $600-$1500, depending on the time and extensiveness of an evaluation. If you have insurance, our billing department will see if your insurance plan will cover an evaluation or if you need pre-authorization.

If you are paying out of pocket, we ask that you pay for half up front and the other half when you are given the written report. We will not release a report until the evaluation has been paid in full.

Why are evaluations so expensive?

Testing materials are very expensive and we are not ethically or legally allowed to make copies. In addition, evaluations take anywhere from 2-20 hours. When we are not seeing you face-to-face for testing, we are also reading through previous records that are collateral, as well as writing the reports.

What are my rights as a parent if my child is in counseling?

Counseling for minors can be tricky as a therapist. Our job is to make sure that the child feels safe enough to share in session what needs to be addressed. We spend a lot of effort in making sure that the minor feels comfortable. Oftentimes, minors are coming because their parents are “making them come” and initially may have a hard time opening up to the therapist. As a result, we ask that parents come in session during the initial intake to go over expectations and informed consent, which includes limits of confidentiality. After the initial session, we ask that the therapist be able to work with the child without the parent being in the room unless this is worked out with the therapist. We are required by law to inform you, the guardian or caregiver, if the child is in danger. You legally have a right to their records and can request that at any time. We encourage active participation with your therapist to provide any information that may be helpful and we strongly encourage communication that can be provided. However, we also respectfully request that parents limit involvement so that the therapist can develop rapport with the minor to work most effectively.

If your child is over 18, we are legally bound to protect their confidentiality and are not able to disclose any information unless they have signed a release of information. Even if you are paying their bills, we still need a release to let you know if they have attended session or not.

Why is Couples Therapy not always billable to insurance?

The medical model is limited from the perspective that insurance companies will only reimburse if there is a medical diagnosis. Insurance companies do not consider relationship distress a medical diagnosis. Therefore, if the couple is being seen as a result of a medical condition then we can bill through the insurance company for reimbursement. (For example, a partner has a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and is engaging in behavior that is damaging to the relationship. The bill would be sent through the partner who has the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and the insurance company would reimburse as the reason why the couple is being seen). However, when no medical diagnosis is present and the couple is presenting for a relationship challenge, the insurance company will not reimburse and therefore, payment is out of pocket.

Why is Couples Therapy out of pocket rate billed at a higher rate than individual therapy?

Our private pay rates are reflective of the amount of work and intensity that is typical of that service. Couples sessions are typically more labor intensive and are considered a specialty within the field. Most couples therapists have received specialty training that makes them qualified to help with your specific concern.

What is EMDR? Does anybody in your practice use EMDR?

Watch this video for a terrific brief explanation.

Most of our therapists are trained in EMDR and use it regularly in our practice. If you are interested in our EMDR intensive retreat please see the Events Page for current offerings.

We hope this has answered your questions. If you have additional questions not covered in this section please use our contact form or call us at (740) 618-8388.