What is the "No Surprises Act"
You have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate" explaining how much your medical care will cost.
Under the law, healthcare providers must give patients who don't have insurance or are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes expenses like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
Ensure your healthcare provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your healthcare provider and any other provider you choose for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
If you receive a bill of at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
Affinity Counseling Center 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 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.
Several factors make it challenging to estimate 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 reducing symptoms; others continue longer because it feels beneficial. Others begin to schedule less frequently and may continue to come in for "tune-ups" or when issues arise. Ultimately, as the client, it is your decision when to stop therapy.
At Affinity Counseling Center, we must provide a diagnosis for all clients for ethical, legal, and insurance reasons, 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 proper diagnosis, we will not update the GFE. It is your right to refuse a diagnosis per state and federal guidelines.
Common Diagnosis Codes at Affinity Counseling Center:
Below are standard diagnosis codes at Affinity Counseling Center; however, the list is not exhaustive. With that said, diagnosis codes can change based on many factors. Please feel free to talk 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)
Affinity Counseling Center 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. They will work together to determine when you have met your goals and are ready for discharge, and 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 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, identify your treatment goals, establish a plan of action, and work towards accomplishing them. Whatever your number of sessions, we will work together to meet your needs.
Common Services at Affinity Counseling Center:
90791: Intake session
90847/46: Family/Couples psychotherapy session
90837: 53+ minute extended psychotherapy session
