FEES, BILLING & PRACTICE POLICIES
ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Our practice reviews rates periodically to ensure that our fees reflect the level of clinical expertise, individualized care, and services we provide. Rate adjustments typically take place on a yearly basis.
Current patients will receive at least 30 days' advance notice of any rate change before the new rate takes effect. Any rate adjustment will apply to services provided after the effective date.
THE THERAPEUTIC HOUR
SouthBay Speech Therapy provides services in 50-minute therapeutic sessions. This format is standard across many healthcare and therapy practices and allows time for direct clinical intervention while also accounting for the clinical preparation, documentation, and care coordination that occur outside of the session itself.
Unless otherwise specified, our standard individual and group therapy rate applies to a 50-minute session.
Some services, including evaluations, consultations, parent meetings, care coordination, and services provided at third-party locations, may be billed at a different rate. Families will be informed of applicable fees in advance.
OUT-OF-NETWORK SERVICES & RATE COMPARISON
SouthBay Speech Therapy is an out-of-network provider. We do not participate directly with insurance companies or accept insurance as payment for services.
We believe families should approach their healthcare decisions as educated consumers. Speech-language pathology services vary considerably based on the provider's experience, specialty training, treatment model, and level of individualized support provided.
Our practice specializes in pediatric and adolescent speech, language, social communication, and social cognition needs. In addition to direct therapy, our model may include parent collaboration, communication with other providers, treatment planning, and coordination of care when appropriate.
Our fees reflect the specialized, individualized nature of this model of care and the experience and training of our clinical team.
Families are welcome to contact our office before beginning services if they have questions about our rates or want to better understand what is included in their care.
INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT & SUPERBILLS
Although we do not bill insurance directly, we provide families with documentation, including Superbills, that may be submitted to their insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement.
Insurance plans differ significantly in their coverage, deductibles, coinsurance, reimbursement rates, and requirements. Because insurance policies are specific to each family, we recommend contacting your insurance company directly to determine whether your plan provides out-of-network benefits for speech-language pathology services.
Providing a Superbill does not guarantee reimbursement, and the family remains responsible for payment to SouthBay Speech Therapy regardless of whether an insurance company reimburses the family.
Our office makes every effort to provide accurate billing information and appropriate CPT and diagnostic codes based on the services provided.
CPT CODES & BILLING
Insurance companies use specific CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes to determine how healthcare services are classified and reimbursed.
Our billing team stays current with applicable coding and documentation requirements so that families have the information they need when submitting claims for potential reimbursement.
CPT codes may appear on invoices, Superbills, or other documentation. Some codes or documentation may be included for insurance, record-keeping, or administrative purposes and may not represent an additional charge.
You should never be surprised by a charge. If something on an invoice or statement does not look correct or you have a question about a charge, please contact our office so we can review it with you.
CANCELLATIONS & MISSED APPOINTMENTS
When you schedule an appointment, that time is reserved exclusively for you or your child. Because our clinicians maintain limited schedules, that appointment time is not generally available to another family once it has been reserved.
We require at least 24 hours' notice for cancellations or requests to reschedule.
Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice, as well as missed appointments or no-shows, may be charged at the full scheduled session rate.
We understand that unexpected circumstances happen. When appropriate, we will always do our best to work with families on a case-by-case basis.
PAYMENT
Payment is due at the time of service unless another payment arrangement has been established with our office.
We accept major credit/debit cards, ACH, checks, and other payment methods made available through our electronic billing system.
For the convenience of our families, a valid credit card may be maintained securely on file. This card will not be charged without appropriate authorization and may be used for outstanding balances, late cancellation or missed appointment fees, or other charges previously communicated to the family.
TRANSPARENCY & COMMUNICATION
Our goal is to make the financial side of care as straightforward and transparent as possible.
If you ever have a question about a rate, invoice, Superbills, insurance documentation, cancellation fee, or any other charge, please ask us. We want families to understand exactly what they are being charged for and why.
We believe that a strong therapeutic relationship begins with trust, communication, and transparency—and that includes the financial aspects of care.
REGIONAL CENTER/ SELF-DETERMINATION PROGRAM
We are proud to support Regional Center clients participating in the Self-Determination Program (SDP). For more information about SDP, please reach out to your local Regional Center.