Jeremy Zug | Telehealth And Insurance Best Practices | TPOT 129
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Release Date: 05/18/2020
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Cameron Schober is an LPC-S and LMFT-S in the State of Texas, primarily practicing at The Hope Place in Mansfield, TX. Cameron’s main areas of clinical focus is treating trauma using a combination of Accelerated Resolution Therapy, psychedelic-assisted integration, and postmodern therapy approaches in conjunction with psychoeducation related to trauma and it’s effects on our nervous systems as well as our lives. In this episode, we talk about Cameron's journey through the realm of therapeutic practices, navigating challenges, and embracing novel approaches to healing. From grappling with...
info_outline Carla Titus | Financial Foundations for Private Practice | TPOT 322The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Carla Titus is a finance expert with over 15 years of combined corporate financial planning, analysis, strategy, and online businesses experience. She provides fractional CFO services and financial consulting to business owners looking to grow their business profitably. Her priorities for her clients are to help them grow profits, have cash in the bank, and pay themselves well so they can build personal wealth. The journey to financial success in any business requires a solid foundation and forward-thinking strategies. Carla, a seasoned financial advisor, emphasizes the critical role of...
info_outline Dr. Liz Lasky | Adapting Private Practice for Modern Needs | TPOT 321The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
This episode covers Dr. Liz Lasky's transformative shift from traditional therapy to coaching, driven by her quest for personal fulfillment and financial success. Embracing skepticism, she champions that therapists can thrive financially while providing valuable services, inspiring others to pursue their dreams. We speak about diverse opportunities for therapists, stressing the need for innovation in the evolving landscape of mental health care. She advocates for balancing roles as a business owner and entrepreneur, believing it's safe to have it all. Dr. Lasky reframes success, encouraging...
info_outline Kristie Plantinga | A Guide to Effective Digital Marketing Tactics in Private Practice | TPOT 320The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Kristie Plantinga is a mental health nerd, writer, and marketer living in Colorado. She is the founder of TherapieSEO—a marketing agency serving therapists and coaches—and —a therapist directory that vets therapists so therapy-seekers can focus on fit, not quality. When she’s not writing about mental health and dreaming up creative content strategies, Kristie can be found snuggling her multiple terriers, sipping a homemade dirty chai, and half-helping her husband cook Lebanese food. This episode is all about navigating the evolving landscape of digital marketing. Kristie emphasizes the...
info_outline Malka Shaw | Combating Anti-Semitism: Strategies for Therapists in Private Practice | TPOT 319The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Malka is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey, New York, and Florida. She has been in the mental health field for over 25 years and has successfully run her private practice for the last 15 years. In response to the events of October 7th and the ongoing situation, Malka Shaw, LCSW and Stacey Shapiro, LCSW, have co-founded the Kesher Shalom Project. This initiative, led by seasoned trauma specialists, has trained over 2000 therapists globally. Their training equips therapists with vital tools to aid Jewish clients during the conflict, covering trauma assessments, practical...
info_outline Jason Frishman | Presence and Mindfulness: Balancing Work and Family | TPOT 318The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
has been working for over 20 years to support individuals, groups, families, organizations, and businesses. Jason is excited to bring over two decades of work in offices, institutions, kitchens, farmers’ markets, woodlots, and boardrooms to wild new environments. Whether as a psychotherapist, the creator and founder of JourneyMen, public speaker, thought leader, or narrative consultant, Jason believes that our lives are adventurous, and we can and should be active, engaged authors of our own adventure stories! In this episode, Jason critiques the societal norms that suppress male...
info_outline Ashley Darnall | Digital Marketing Success in Private Practice | TPOT 317The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Ashley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and mental health copywriter for therapists. In her professional work as a clinician, Ashley has experience with in-patient counseling and case management, outpatient counseling, and medical and insurance practice. In the realm of SEO and private practice, the importance of user experience is often overlooked, leading therapists to rush into website setup without addressing essential business aspects. This mistake stems from a lack of business education during clinical training. To enhance online visibility, therapists must define their ideal client,...
info_outline Jennifer McGurk | Pursuing Private Practice: Insights From a Dietician | TPOT 316The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Jennifer McGurk RDN, CDN, CEDS-S is the founder and CEO of Pursuing Private Practice. She began her career in business as a dietitian in private practice. She grew her private practice into a group practice and eventually expanded into speaking, offering workshops, and supervising other professionals. In this episode, Jennifer guides us in overcoming imposter syndrome and navigating the complexities of private practice, promoting diversified offerings beyond one-on-one sessions for a broader impact in the field. Her career in dietetics has undergone a significant transformation from a...
info_outline Jamal Jones | Shifting Mindsets: Value-Based Pricing in Private Practice | TPOT 315The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
In this episode, chats about navigating the hurdles of partnering with a tech company and transitioning to a sustainable private pay model. We explore his growth, financial transformation, and improved relationship with his work. Beyond his personal journey, Jamal dives into profound topics like faith, abundance, and financial wellness, providing insights into mental health entrepreneurship and the adoption of value-based pricing. Join Jamal in recognizing the worth of mental health professionals, navigating industry challenges, and embracing a mindset that transforms setbacks into success....
info_outline Stefani Cohen | Getting Really Niche Specific: A Tale of Overcoming Fears | TPOT 314The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
EmBARK on a transformative journey with Stefani Cohen as we chat about Stefani shares the heartfelt story of her daughter Becky's unexpected fear of dogs, navigating a landscape void of resources. Through the prism of exposure therapy, Stefani witnessed Becky's remarkable transformation, sparking a commitment to extend her expertise to a wider audience. Stefani authored a comprehensive guide aimed at parents, therapists, dog trainers, grandparents, and dog enthusiasts. We dive into the book's core components, emphasizing education about dog behavior and the empowering journey of...
info_outlineIn this episode, Jeremy Zug from Practice Solutions joins the show to explain what’s going on with telehealth during these uncertain times. Jeremy advises on submitting telehealth claims and explains how telehealth is rapidly becoming our new normal. Then, Jeremy gives tips on collecting from patients. As a business, we need to make money. Your patients may be in financial distress, so Jeremy describes what to do in this situation. Stay tuned as Jeremy gives the pros and cons of accepting insurance as a private practice owner.
Meet Jeremy Zug
Jeremy grew up in the Pacific Northwest where he discovered his passion for people. He decided to go to college in Chicago to further develop his skills working with people and pursue a degree in counseling. While in Chicago he worked for a group practice as a practice biller and marketing manager. This initiated his desire to pursue learning about the business of private practice, particularly medical billing. He now lives in Michigan with his wife of 3 years. They both are pursuing their passion for helping helpers maintain sustainable and compliant billing practices. In his free time, Jeremy loves reading, fishing, biking, hiking, and camping.
Telehealth Claims
How can you determine whether your patient’s copay will be waived? There are some excellent resources, but the best way to do that right now is to call the insurance companies. You’re going to want to say is telemental health is covered on an outpatient basis for this patient. Then, give them the insurance information and the date of birth because that will lead the provider representative to tell you what they have. What we’re seeing as a trend is if the patient had telehealth benefits into their benefits before COVID-19, they are covered at one-hundred percent. If they didn’t have those benefits, the patients still have copays and deductibles applying through this time. It’s confusing for many people, but as providers, we can do the best job we can by being as clear as possible. We want to be as transparent as possible with that.
Telehealth is the New Normal
Providers can do a good job as far as lobbying with their government officials on telehealth being the new normal. Telemedicine is effective, and you can reach more people. Jeremy knows that insurance companies often get a bad rep, but this has been an enormous agenda item for them for a long time. Send a letter to your governor, your senator, and congressmen to push for it. Telehealth can also make the lives of the private practice owner easier too. Telehealth will make it more convenient to choose your hours, and therapists can even be available for clients who are overseas.
Collecting From Patients
People need to start collecting from patients – you are contractually obligated to receive it. If the person is out of work, you still have to collect the copay and deductible. As a business owner, you need to treat people the way you want to be treated. If a patient is short on cash, the provider should tell the patient they owe for the service. However, you can offer an extension on their debt.
Another thing you can do is set up a weekly payment plan. That way, the private practice owner knows that that patient will pay. Plus, the patient can budget it into their weekly expenses. We should not feel bad for getting paid for what we do. Think about all the time and effort that you went through to get licensed. People know when they go to a doctor’s office that they are going to owe something. So, when a patient goes to a therapist, they should expect to pay. Jeremy suggests reading the book Against Empathy.
Accepting Insurance
It’s much easier logistically to not take insurance. However, there is a case to accept insurance. Clinically, you can work with populations that you are passionate about. If you work with military patients, that’s a huge client base, and they need it. If that’s your expertise, then do that. At the same time, you will sacrifice profitability. If you take insurance, then you will receive a hit on the money side. Do you want to work with those clinical populations? You will have to weigh that with the profitability side. There is something to be said about access to care and that growing market. Perhaps you can grow your practice faster when accepting insurance – plus, they can be easy to work with. There is a sense of speed and deployment with insurance, and that matters. However, you’ll have to manage paperwork and fuzzy bureaucracy.
Jeremy’s Resources
Practice Solutions
Practice Solutions on Facebook
Practice Solutions on LinkedIn
Other Resources
Against Empathy
The Session Note Helper System
Free Google G-Suite Hacks Sheet you can get here.
Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group
Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course
G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course
Cool Resources
Be a Podcast Guest
Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram
Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT
Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook