Austin Therapists Offer Telehealth During COVID-19 Pandemic. But Who Pays Isn’t Always Clear.

“There is a great deal of frustration in the therapist community because we have a duty to serve our clients. It’s a scary time to be a single-practice therapist.”

By Ashley LopezApril 1, 2020 9:30 am, , , ,

From KUT:

Mental health care providers in Austin say they’re finding it hard to provide telemedicine services to a big chunk of their patients – particularly those with large employer health plans from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

They say Blue Cross representatives have been giving providers and patients inconsistent – and sometimes inaccurate – information about what is covered when it comes to providing care over the phone or via the internet rather than in person.

“It’s all just up in the air right now,” Julie Walder, a licensed professional counselor in Austin, said. “We, as providers, have a lot of questions.”

 

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