Sessions in Short

  • Individual Therapy: Ages 11 through Adult

  • Families (Teens/Tweens and their adults)

    Families are welcome in person and virtually. Please discuss with us the best options for your family. Please note, because of issues with dual relationships and the impact on your therapy and loss of opportunities for other clients, Carrie is NOT available for court. If your family needs or may need court services, please see More Information for resources to support your legal needs.

  • In Person Sessions (Mondays/Thursdays)

    • 9:00am- 6:00pm (latest appointment is at 5:00 pm)

      • All sessions are 55 minutes, scheduled on the hour

    • Please call 228-990-8980 to schedule

    • 2112 Bienville Blvd Suite L1, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

  • Virtual (video or phone) (Tuesdays/Wednesdays)

    • 9:00am- 6:00 pm (latest appointment is at 5:00pm)

      • All sessions are 55 minutes, scheduled on the hour

    • Must be IN Mississippi at the time of appointment (see virtual rule updates here)

    • Video provided through Jane (our office EHR) or Google Meet if needed

    • Phone sessions available

    • Virtual sessions are the same as in person sessions, with the exception of location and the use of phone or screen. All confidentiality needs and duration applies. Client must be able to speak privately and openly in session.

  • Some Insurances Accepted- see Insurance Tab

    Subspecialties

  • Anxiety Depression

  • ADHD Insomnia/Sleep Disturbance

  • Stress/Life changes Safe Space

  • Trauma Complex Trauma

  • Young adult life shifts Gifted/High Achieving

  • Grief Self-esteem/Development

“Pain is incomplete learning.”
— Milton Erickson

Cost and Insurance

 Covering the cost of therapy can feel like a maze, and we want to make it as easy as possible. Here is our navigation guide- and please, feel free to call and ask!

There are two ways people cover the cost of therapy: sharing the costs with insurance or self-pay.

Insurance

This means we bill your insurance company, releasing some information about treatment to them, and they may cover some of the costs. You are still responsible for any costs they determine are yours, based on your contracts with them. This may include deductible, copay, or coinsurance.

Deductible: what you must cover before they begin to pay, and will be based on what the insurance company allows for the session- this varies based on insurance company and plan.

Copay: a flat rate you pay per appointment at offices

Coinsurance: a percentage of the allowable amount

Copay/Coinsurance are still yours, even after your deductible has been reached. Your insurance can tell you what these are, and you might find them on your card.

Your financial responsibility

Your insurance is an agreement between you and your insurer. While we submit claims on your behalf, you are responsible for any amount not covered, including:

  • Copays and coinsurance

  • Deductible amounts

  • Services your plan considers non-covered

  • Other balances remaining after claims are processed as determined by your coverage

Self-pay

This option does not use insurance. This may be more expensive for you than if you had an insurance plan with generous coverage. However, it is the most private option. Unless you determine there is a reason to release the information, there is not a reason to submit medical information to another entity. This also creates more flexibility, as you determine your needs more than an insurance company by covering the costs yourself. While an insurance company may limit the nature of your visits, with this method you are only concerned with your and your therapist’s views of what best serves your needs. You will receive a GFE summarizing your costs for your records.

Full fee: $225. Same day pay coverage: $150. Some scholarship options may be available on a limited basis, but slots are few. Please call our office.

Billing policy

Invoices

Sent electronically through our EHR once your insurance has processed the claim and any balance is determined. If costs are known, you can pay full pre-deductible amount at the time of service. Just speak to the office about it. You can pay online, over the phone, or in person. Cards, check, and cash are welcome.

After therapy ends

Outstanding balances remain due even after services have ended. Invoices will be sent electronically as insurance clears. Current balance is due upon termination of services.

Paper statements

Any unpaid balance receives a mailed statement quarterly as a courtesy reminder for each quarter while balance remains outstanding. If electronic invoice is paid, paper statements will only be mailed upon request. We are happy to print out a statement at any time you need. Just ask!

Questions?

Call us at 228-990-8980 — we're glad to help

INSURANCE: If you choose to apply insurance coverage for services, we will bill your insurance or give you a superbill as appropriate. All of your costs, including copays, deductible, etc. are determined by your insurance, not our office. While we might have an idea of the customary pattern of an insurance plan, the plans determine what the allowable fees are, and subsequently any costs you may incur. This is your contract with them, and outside of our control. Some plans also differ in their rules for mental health or have a different company covering their mental health plans, not the company listed on the card (more common with employer sponsored insurance). Please contact your insurance company for questions regarding your coverage.

 

  • Before your first appointment

    Your plan is a contract between you and your insurance company, even if you use an employer plan. This contract determines your cost.

    Surprises are not fun when it comes to costs, and we want you to know as much up front as possible. We strongly recommend calling the member services number on your insurance card to ask:

    • Do I have outpatient mental health benefits?

    • Have I met my deductible? What's the remaining amount?

    • Can they tell you the cost per session before the deductible is met? [They may or may not be able to do this. You can try with a sample CPT code of 90837.]

    • What is my copay or coinsurance per visit?

    • Are there visit limits per year?

    • Is Carrie in-network?

    We can provide procedure codes or more information about Carrie as needed to help with this call. Just ask.

    • Blue Cross Blue Shield: We can accept most Blue Cross plans. ****EMPLOYER PLANS: It is critical to call your insurance company for most plans. Some have special limitations for mental health coverage or the mental health portion may not be Blue Cross, but another network.****

    • Blue Cross Advantage Plan

    • Humana Commercial and Medicare Advantage

    • Medicaid and MSCAN- all plans

    • Medicare (regular part B)

    • Molina

    • MS Physicians Network

    • Singing River Premier Network

    • United Healthcare Commercial Plans (The “Freedom” plan does not have mental health coverage at all. Contact your UHC plan to find out what your mental health coverage is.)

    Common Third-party plans:

    Healthgram

    SAS

    UMR

    If you have a third part plan, your coverage is determined by your employer’s structure, instead of general policy patterns. We cannot predict coverage. See our guide for questions to ask them.

  • Self Pay skips the insurance step. You will receive a different form that does not include an insurance page but will have a credit card reserved. You do not have to use it to cover costs, but you may.

    You will receive a GFE before your session and if applicable again at the beginning of the year. This is a requirement for self-pay medical care. It is not a bill. It is not an obligation. It does not change what was discussed in advance, which should instead be reflected in the GFE. You are in control of how often you attend therapy. The advantage of self pay is additional freedom to construct your therapy schedule outside of insurance considerations. If your preferred schedule is not listed on the GFE, please don’t worry. You can still talk to Carrie about that therapy schedule.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. Fill out the insurance information, and we will bill in network insurance. If your insurance changes, it it your responsibility to let us know. If you are out of network, we are happy to help with a superbill. If your insurance changes, it is your responsibility to let us know; the insurance company will not notify us.

  • In order to predict your cost, contact your insurance company if you are using insurance. If you are using self pay, your cost will match your GFE and the discussion for your therapy plan at the beginning.

    Once your insurer processes the claim we send, they’ll send an Explanation of Benefits (EOB). This determines your remaining invoice, if any. Your insurer should also send you a copy of your EOB or provide one on your portal on their webpage or app.

  • A deductible is the amount your pay out of pocket before insurance begins sharing the cost with you. It is part of your contract with your insurer. Your deductible may be listed on your card, or they may tell you when you speak to them. For example, if your deductible is $1000, you are responsible for the full allowable rate until $1000 is met for the year.

    The allowable is a number the insurance company determined it will “allow” or permit to be a charge for a service. The base charge rate from us must be the same number listed for everyone, but they have a number they are going to actually use, and that is the allowable. This number varies by insurers.They determined this number using their own methods. It will be listed on the EOB after billing.

  • A copay is a flat fee the insurance determined would be your cost share. Coinsurance is a percentage of the allowable they determined is your cost share, with our without a copay.

    For example, our office uses an across the board number of $225. If your insurance company decided it’s allowable was $100 (for easy math) they could: have a copay of any number. Maybe their flat fee is $25. You would have a $25 copay, no matter what the allowable was- $100 or $500. If they are doing coinsurance, you would have a percentage. 20% is popular. In the first case, you would have a $20 cost share. If they covered $500 (which we do not charge), and you had a $500 service for something, you would pay 20% of $500, which is $100.

    Both usually apply after the deductible is met. Mental health may use either one, depending on the plan.

  • We do our best to help make sure you get the most coverage possible. Your insurer will send an EOB regardless of their decision. They should explain the denial, although those explanations may be confusing. Please feel free to call us about any denials.

    If there is a denial, we will try to reconcile it if we possibly can. Our first choice is to use your preference for payment. However, if it is not reparable, you are responsible for any uncovered balance, including after therapy is concluded.

  • In most cases we will do that. Please bring both cards with you. We do need to know which is primary and which is secondary.

    There will be an order that matters. Please talk to us about it or ask your plan representatives about it so we have the correct order to make sure you get your sessions covered.

  • Call our office. We’ll walk you through it if you have any questions about it.

 

Appointment? Questions?

Get In Touch

Give us a call at 228-990-8980 for more information or to schedule an appointment with Carrie.

Sessions and consultations by appointment only. No half appointments available- all appointments are 1 hour. Consultations are self-pay only and at some limited times might be available for 30 minute time slots, subject to scheduling availability.

Appointments are available Monday through Thursday from 9 am until 6 pm.

Fax: 228-215-1721

Email Carrie: carrie@cvptherapy.com

When scheduling an appointment, please note our 24 hour cancellation policy.

Visiting Our Office

2112 Bienville Blvd Suite L-1

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Directions

From Washington Avenue: Take Hwy 90 East through Ocean Springs. Continue past Winn-Dixie and Quakes frozen custard shop. Turn right on Bechtel Blvd. (intersection just past Castaways). If you reach Coffee Fusion, you have gone too far. Continue past Smoothie King and Fast Eddie's. The last right before the railroad tracks is the brick entrance to Armand Place. Turn right into Armand Place. The Carrie Virginia Pate Therapy Center is the third building on the left (first parking lot on the left). There is a sign on the building and by the door.

From Hwy 57: Take Hwy 90 West through Ocean Springs, past Walmart and Ocean Springs Hospital. Continue past CSpire and Community Bank. Turn left at Bechtel Blvd. near CVS Pharmacy on the left. Continue past Smoothie King and Fast Eddie's. The last right before the railroad tracks is the brick entrance to Armand Place. Turn right into Armand Place. The Carrie Virginia Pate Therapy Center is the third building on the left (first parking lot on the left). There is a sign on the building and by the door.

 

Rooted in Insight. Growing on Your Terms.