Self Pay Psychiatrist Q&A

The amount of time it takes for a psychiatrist to determine an accurate diagnosis will depend on the mental health condition that is being diagnosed and can vary from patient to patient. Some patients will be able to receive a full evaluation resulting in a concrete diagnosis within one appointment that takes anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes, or sometimes longer, but in many cases, the psychiatrist may choose to schedule multiple appointments before providing a diagnosis. Depending on the complexity of the diagnosis, it can even take several weeks to multiple months before a psychiatrist will provide an accurate diagnosis. There are so many factors that contribute to a patient’s mental health, influencing how the mental health condition is displayed or the severity of symptoms, making it sometimes more difficult to accurately diagnose as each condition can appear quite uniquely in many people. It is also possible that after years of regular psychiatric treatment, the diagnosis can change as new information or symptoms develop.

For patients without insurance coverage for psychiatric care, the cost of a one-hour appointment can cost anywhere from $100 to $500, with an average cost of $200. If the initial appointment includes an evaluation, it will likely cost a little bit more depending on the type of evaluation or specialist that is required, with an average cost of around $500. It is common for clinics to offer promotional discounts or deals for multiple sessions to patients to help reduce the costs of treatments a little bit and make receiving high-quality care more accessible. The cost of sessions will vary depending on the location of the clinic or office, with urban areas that have a higher cost of living often costing a little bit more, as well as different types of psychiatric care ranging a bit depending on the specialists required for certain conditions.

The amount of coverage that a patient can receive for psychiatric care from their medical insurance will heavily depend on which insurance provider they use and which specific policy they have. Most health insurance providers will not offer any coverage unless the treatments are deemed “medically necessary”. To be deemed medically necessary, many insurance providers will require a diagnosis for a mental health condition that requires treatment before they will reimburse any amount. However, if the insurance provider can provide coverage, they will often include financial coverage for both individual therapy visits and/or group therapy but each insurance policy may only cover a certain number of sessions or up to a certain amount. In most cases, the amount that patients will have to cover out of pocket after being reimbursed for psychiatric care will cost around $20 to $50 but it is always encouraged that patients reach out to both their insurance provider and the clinic from which they are receiving the psychiatric services for a more accurate cost estimate.

If you are looking for affordable, high-quality psychiatric care, Success Health System Corp offers several convenient locations throughout Missouri and Kansas. We offer a range of psychiatric services within the following locations:

• Columbia, MO
• Independence, MO
• Creve Coeur, MO
• Olathe, KS

Success Health System Corp provides many different essential psychiatric services, accepting most major insurance providers and offering special pricing options for our patients who are using self-pay options to ensure that all patients have access to affordable, quality psychiatric care. To learn more about our accepted insurance providers, financial plans, and payment options, please feel free to contact our office during our open hours. We serve patients from Creve Coeur MO, St. Louis MO, Independence MO, Olathe KS, Columbia MO, Craig KS, Spring Hill KS, Pierpont MO, Kirkwood MO, Kansas City MO, River Bend MO & Beyond!