Financial Policy

How Insurance Billing Works

South Valley Psychiatry partners with Alma for all insurance billing and claims processing. After each appointment, a claim is submitted to your insurance carrier on your behalf. Alma handles the full billing cycle including:

• Insurance eligibility verification prior to your first visit
• Claims submission to your insurance carrier after each session
• Patient invoicing for any copay, coinsurance, or deductible responsibility
• Automated payment collection via your card on file

You will receive invoice notifications directly from Alma by email. All invoices must be paid through the Alma platform using a credit card, debit card, FSA, or HSA card.

Payment Method Requirement

As of September 2025, all insurance patients are required to enroll a valid payment method in Alma’s Autopay system during the intake process. This is required by our billing partner and is standard across Alma-partnered practices.

Your card will not be charged until a claim is processed and your insurance has confirmed your payment responsibility. Accepted payment methods include:

Insurance Estimates & Cost Transparency

Prior to your first appointment, Alma will run an insurance eligibility check and provide you with an estimate of your expected out-of-pocket costs including copays and deductible responsibility. Please note that these are estimates — your actual cost may vary once the claim is fully processed by your insurance carrier.

If you have questions about your benefits or expected costs, we recommend contacting your insurance carrier directly at the number on the back of your insurance card before your first visit.

24-Hour Cancellation Requirement

We require at least 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment. This allows us to offer the time slot to another patient who may be waiting for care.

A $100 fee will be charged for:

• No-shows — appointments missed without any prior notice
• Late cancellations — cancellations made with less than 24 hours notice

This fee is not billable to insurance and is the patient’s direct responsibility. Repeated no-shows or late cancellations may result in discharge from the practice.

Exceptions

We understand that emergencies happen. Cancellation fees may be waived at the discretion of South Valley Psychiatry in the case of a documented medical emergency or unavoidable crisis. Please contact us through the patient portal as soon as possible if you are unable to attend your appointment.

When Payment Is Due

For self-pay patients, payment is due at the time of service. We do not offer extended payment plans for self-pay balances. All self-pay services must be paid in full before or at the conclusion of each appointment.

FSA and HSA cards are accepted for self-pay patients. If you are unsure whether your FSA or HSA covers psychiatric services, please check with your plan administrator prior to your appointment.

Superbills for Out-of-Network Reimbursement

If you have out-of-network insurance benefits, we can provide a superbill upon request after each appointment. A superbill is an itemized receipt with all the information your insurance carrier needs to process a reimbursement claim. You would submit the superbill directly to your insurance carrier — we cannot guarantee reimbursement, as this is determined entirely by your insurance plan.