Financial Policy

United Healthcare & Optum — Billed Internally

If you have United Healthcare or Optum coverage, South Valley Psychiatry bills your insurance directly. Our office handles eligibility verification, claims submission, and invoicing for any copay, coinsurance, or deductible responsibility. Your card on file will be charged once your insurance has processed the claim and confirmed your payment responsibility.

Cigna & Aetna — Billed Through Alma

If you have Cigna or Aetna coverage, South Valley Psychiatry partners with Alma, a third-party billing platform for behavioral health providers, to handle your insurance billing and claims processing. Here’s how the Alma process works:

• Alma verifies your insurance eligibility and benefits prior to your first visit
• After each appointment, Alma submits a claim to Cigna or Aetna on your behalf
• Alma invoices you directly for any copay, coinsurance, or deductible responsibility
• Payment is collected automatically via the card you have on file with Alma

You will receive invoice notifications directly from Alma by email, and all Alma invoices are paid through the Alma platform using a credit card, debit card, FSA, or HSA card. As part of intake, Cigna and Aetna patients are required to enroll a valid payment method in Alma’s Autopay system — this is required by Alma and is standard across all Alma-partnered practices. Your card will not be charged until a claim is processed and your insurance has confirmed your payment responsibility.

For questions about an Alma invoice, your Alma account, or your Cigna/Aetna claim status, you can reach Alma support directly through your Alma invoice email or by visiting helloalma.com.

Please note: not every Cigna or Aetna sub-plan is eligible through Alma — for example, certain administrators and employer-sponsored plans under each carrier are not currently supported. We recommend confirming your specific plan is eligible before your first visit at Alma’s participating insurance plans page, or by contacting our office.

Payment Method Requirement

All insurance patients — whether billed internally or through Alma — are required to have a valid payment method on file prior to your first appointment. 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, we (or Alma, if you have Cigna or Aetna) 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 $50 fee will be charged for:

• No-shows — appointments missed without any prior notice

This fee is not billable to insurance and is the patient’s direct responsibility. Repeated no-shows 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.