Health Insurance 101
Understanding Your Mental Health Benefits
How Aspire Psychology Supports You Every Step of the Way
At Aspire Psychology, we understand that navigating health insurance can be confusing—especially when you’re trying to focus on your mental health. That’s why our experienced administrative and billing team takes the lead in helping you understand and use your insurance benefits.
We verify your benefits, clarify what your plan covers, and explain your out-of-pocket costs before your first appointment. While health insurance can be complex, we aim to make the process as smooth, transparent, and supportive as possible so you can focus on your care—versus what your insurance will pay for.
We Take Care of the Details
When you become a new patient at Aspire, we contact your insurance company on your behalf to gather detailed information about your mental health coverage. Our team will:
Confirm whether your plan is in-network or out-of-network
Determine what services are covered
Identify your deductible, copay, or coinsurance responsibilities
Provide a clear, easy-to-understand summary of any expected out-of-pocket costs
You don’t have to worry about interpreting complicated insurance terms on your own—we’ve got you covered.
⚠️ Please note: Insurance companies occasionally provide incomplete or inaccurate benefit information. While we do everything we can to confirm your coverage, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information we receive from your insurance provider.
We recommend confirming details directly with your insurance carrier if you’d like additional peace of mind. Our team can provide helpful questions to ask.
Common Insurance Terms (Simplified)
Here are a few terms you might encounter. Don’t worry—we’ll explain what applies to your specific plan:
Deductible: The amount you pay out of pocket each year before your insurance starts to cover services.
Copay: A fixed fee (e.g., $20–$50) for each visit, usually after your deductible is met.
Coinsurance: A percentage (e.g., 20%) of the session cost you pay after meeting your deductible.
Out-of-Pocket Maximum: The most you’ll pay in deductibles, copays, and coinsurance in a year. After that, insurance typically covers 100%.
You may have a copay, coinsurance, or both. We’ll clarify this in your personalized benefits summary at the top of the intake packet we send to you to complete during the new patient process.
Coordination of Benefits (COB)
If you’re covered by two insurance plans—such as your own and a spouse’s, a parent’s or a student plan—your insurance companies follow a process called Coordination of Benefits (COB) to determine who pays first.
The primary insurance processes the claim first.
The secondary insurance may cover the remaining balance, depending on your benefits.
At Aspire, we can bill both plans. However, insurance companies require you to be actively involved in this process. You will not have to do this alone. We will walk you through these steps. Here's what you need to know:
✅ You must inform both insurance companies that you have dual coverage.
✅ You are responsible for confirming which plan is primary and which is secondary.
✅ Most insurers will require you to complete a COB form before they process claims.
⚠️ If this step is skipped, claims may be delayed or denied until resolved.
Even if you think you only have one plan, we encourage you to double-check with your parents, spouse or partner, employer, or school. Secondary coverage is sometimes active without your knowledge.
Our billing specialist will support you through each step—what to say, who to contact, and how to complete the COB form—so you’re never left on your own.
Insurance Plans We Accept
Aspire Psychology is in-network with:
PacificSource
Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Some Kaiser plans
If your plan is out-of-network, you may still be able to use your benefits. Many plans reimburse a portion of out-of-network services.
We will:
Let you know whether out-of-network benefits apply
Provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance once a month
Guide you through the reimbursement process in order to help you get paid back what your insurance is covering for your treatment
Becoming a New Patient
Getting started at Aspire is simple. Once you click on Become A New Patient on our website (located on every page), you’ll be redirected to our Initial Inquiry form where we ask you a few questions so we can get you on the way to getting help.
After you submit this, we’ll:
Verify your insurance benefits
Provide a personalized cost summary
Send you our intake packet to fill out to give us the information needed to match you with the right clinician
Answer any questions you might have
📞 Questions? Contact our Practice Administrator, Jamie Zimmerman, at
503.994.8811 ext. 102 or email Jamie.
Supporting You, Every Step of the Way
At Aspire Psychology, we believe mental health care should be accessible, transparent, and stress-free. From verifying your benefits to helping you navigate billing and insurance logistics, we’re here to ensure you feel supported from day one!
