Billing & Insurance Information

The Program for the Advancement of Trauma Healing (PATH) is committed to making trauma-informed clinical and forensic services accessible. Below you'll find information about how billing works for our clinical services and for our forensic evaluation services, which are billed differently.

All services at PATH — clinical and forensic — are provided by advanced doctoral trainees in clinical psychology, under the direct clinical and/or forensic supervision of a licensed psychologist. The supervising psychologist maintains full professional responsibility for every case, reviews and co-signs all reports and treatment records, and is available to clients, referral sources, attorneys, and courts as needed. This supervision structure is disclosed in our informed consent documents at the start of every case.

Commercial Insurance

PATH is currently credentialed with the following commercial insurance plans:

• Aetna
• Regence
• Premera/Lifewise
• First Choice

[Note: list the commercial plans PATH is actually credentialed with once CAQH/payer credentialing is finalized. Until credentialing is complete, consider a line such as: "PATH is in the process of becoming credentialed with several commercial insurance panels. Please contact us to check current status for your specific plan."]

If your plan isn't listed, you may still be able to use out-of-network benefits. We're happy to provide a superbill (an itemized receipt with diagnosis and procedure codes) that you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. We recommend contacting your insurance company directly to ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits, deductible, and reimbursement rate before your first appointment.

Washington Apple Health (Medicaid)

PATH accepts select Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) managed care plans. PATH is currently credentialed with:

• Coordinated Care of Washington
• Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW)
• Molina Healthcare of Washington
• Wellpoint Washington (formerly Amerigroup)

A few things to know about Apple Health billing:

• Clients enrolled in Apple Health managed care generally have no out-of-pocket cost for covered, medically necessary behavioral health services received from an in-network provider.
• Some plans require a referral or prior authorization for certain services — our administrative team will help verify your benefits and any authorization requirements before services begin.
• Coverage and network status can change; we verify eligibility and benefits at intake and periodically throughout treatment.
• If you have Apple Health through a plan we are not yet credentialed with, please contact us — we may be able to help you find an in-network alternative or discuss other options.

Self-Pay & Sliding Scale

For clients without insurance coverage, who prefer not to use insurance, or whose plan we do not accept, PATH offers self-pay rates and a limited number of sliding-scale openings based on financial need. [Insert current self-pay rate and sliding-scale application process.]

Forensic Evaluation Services: Civil, Criminal & Family Law

PATH's forensic evaluation services are not billed to health insurance. This is standard practice across the forensic psychology field: forensic evaluations are conducted to answer a legal question for a court, attorney, or other retaining party — they are not "medically necessary treatment," and insurers do not cover them. Forensic services are billed directly to the retaining party on a private-pay or retainer basis.

PATH provides forensic psychological evaluation services in the following areas:

• Civil litigation — including personal injury, psychological damages, disability, and related civil matters
• Criminal matters — including competency evaluations, criminal mitigation, and risk assessment, conducted for defense counsel, prosecution, or the court
• Family law — including parenting evaluations and other custody-related assessments conducted pursuant to Washington's RCW 26.09 and RCW 26.12

As with our clinical services, forensic evaluations at PATH are conducted by advanced doctoral trainees under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist, who reviews the evaluation methodology, findings, and final report, and who co-signs the report and retains ultimate professional and legal responsibility for the opinions rendered. This supervision structure is disclosed to all retaining parties, evaluees, and the court as applicable at the outset of the evaluation.

How Forensic Billing Works

• Retainer required. Forensic evaluations begin with a signed engagement agreement and an upfront retainer. [Insert current retainer amount and hourly rate range.]
• Hourly billing. All professional time — record review, interviews, testing and scoring, collateral contacts, report writing, and any deposition or court testimony — is billed at an hourly rate and itemized on invoices.
• Retaining party is responsible for payment. Depending on the matter, the retaining party may be the attorney, the court, or an individual party. Fee responsibility is specified in the engagement agreement before work begins.
• Testimony and travel are billed separately from evaluation time, at rates specified in the engagement agreement.
• No sliding scale or insurance billing applies to forensic services, consistent with standard forensic practice and professional ethics guidance on maintaining evaluator objectivity.

[Note: Consider adding a short paragraph here on court-ordered / indigent-party fee arrangements if PATH plans to accept court appointments in criminal matters, since payment structure often differs (e.g., county or state payment) from privately retained civil/family law work.]

Questions About Billing?

Our administrative team can help verify your insurance benefits, discuss self-pay and sliding-scale options, or provide fee information for a forensic evaluation.
Contact: [phone number] | [email address]

This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute a guarantee of coverage, payment, or specific fees. Insurance benefits, network status, and Medicaid managed care contracts are subject to change and are verified on a case-by-case basis.