I offer short and long-term counseling for adults. My fee for an initial intake appointment of 60 minutes is $235. A standard session of 45 minutes is $155, and a 60-minute session is $193.75. Insurance frequently covers part or all of my services. Clients who use their insurance are expected to pay only the co-pay, coinsurance, and/or deductible required by their insurance provider. However direct payment offers greater confidentiality and no treatment information is shared with an insurance company.

Direct Payment Details

Even if I am a preferred provider for your insurance company, you might choose not to use insurance to pay for therapy because it can impact your ability to obtain future life, health, or disability insurance.

I accept cash, checks, Visa & MasterCard.

Insurance Details

I am a preferred (in-network) provider for Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Medica, UnitedHealthcare, and Medical Assistance. If your insurance company considers me an out-of-network provider, you will be expected to pay my full fee at the time of service. Your insurance company may partially reimburse you for my services, but I cannot guarantee it. I will gladly provide you with a receipt to submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement.

Here are questions that I recommend you ask your insurance provider before coming to see me for your first visit, even if I am considered a preferred provider:

  • Do I have coverage for outpatient mental health counseling?
  • What is my deductible and co-pay? How much of my deductible has been met?
  • What percentage of my counseling fees are covered?
  • Do my benefits cover only in-network providers, or do I also have out-of-network benefits? (If you are using your out-of-network benefits, ask what percentage they will reimburse and what their “allowed amount” is.)
  • Are services provided by Joy Piccolino, Psy.D. covered by my plan? (Your insurance carrier may ask you for the therapist’s credentials. I am a doctoral-level licensed psychologist).

Please be aware that should you choose to use your insurance benefits, you need to meet criteria for and be provided with a mental health diagnosis.

Appointments, Cancellations and No-Shows

When I make an appointment with you, I reserve that time especially for you. I do not “double book,” as is sometimes the practice for medical doctors. If an appointment is missed or canceled with less than 24-hours notice, you will be billed directly according to the scheduled fee or according to the rules of your insurance plan unless we both agree that the cancellation was unavoidable. I will extend the same courtesy to you if I need to cancel an appointment. So if you wake up the day of your appointment and find that you are too sick to attend our session, call me and we will find another time. I recognize that either you or I may have unavoidable events occur that prevent us from providing 24-hour notice.