Payment

Akula Therapy is private pay (out of network provider) but I am contracted to take most insurances. 

The cost is $165 a session. You may use any form of payment, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), or your provider may reimburse you (please check with them, a superbill can be provided and will need to have a diagnosis on it). If cost is a financial barrier for you, there are limited sliding scale spots with the support of the көмек fund(prioritised for BIPOC/LGBTQIA+ folks). 

Benefits of private pay: your information stays private because it’s not submitted to your insurance, you don’t need a diagnosis that could negatively impact your life/opportunities, there is no time/session limit, some insurance plans have high deductibles and may require people to pay a session fee that could be as much or higher than private pay. 

Insurance: If private pay isn’t possible, I am also contracted to work with Forward Bound Counseling (https://www.forwardboundcounseling.com/) and am in network with many major insurances. If you choose to use insurance, you will be a client for Forward Bound, NOT Akula Therapy and they are NOT interchangeable. This will require an official DSM-5 diagnosis and may limit amount of sessions long term.

I am currently in network with:

  • Health Partners

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield

  • Cigna

  • Ucare

  • Optum

  • UMR

  • United Health

  • Medica

  • Medicaid

  • SCHA 

  • Primewest (virtual only)

How to check coverage + if a provider is in network:

There are so many different variations of therapy plans, therapists don’t have the ability to look up coverage for you — that’s private information.

  • Call your insurance to see if behavioral health is covered (codes: 90837 60 min session, 90834 45 min session, 90853 group therapy)

  • ask if you have a copay, deductible, and/or if there are any limitations on sessions

  • Therapists have an NPI (National Provider Identifier) number, you can use the number to double check that they are in network with your specific plan.
    My NPI: 1114736519

  • PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK that a provider’s NPI is in network with your plan. A clinician can be in network with XYZ but your individual insurance plan can be limited to specific clinics, closed network of providers, etc. Double checking this is the best way to ensure that services will be covered.

  • Insurance coverage and plans can change year to year, especially if you get it through work. Please update insurance info with provider and double check that they’re in network when those changes occur.

The United States is the only “developed” country that does not have universal healthcare..these are my feelings on that:

Visual description: Me sending off two middle fingers to the healthcare systems -and to the many other oppressive societal systems/constructs we live in-