frequently asked questions

YES, we take insurance. Please contact your insurance company for additional information about your coverage. The insurance company works for you and is often more thorough about covered benefits with you, their customer.

When asking if a provider is in-network, give both the provider name AND the Stepping Stone Clinic Richfield, MN location. Several of our providers work at different clinics and hospitals with different in and out of network status.

Here is a list of recommended questions to ask your insurance company. We recommend taking notes including the name of the agent and the date you called to help with any appeals process if needed in the future.

• Is this provider in my network?
• Is this provider in-network at Stepping Stone Clinic?
• Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
• Do I need a referral from my primary care physician?
• Do I need pre-authorization or prior approval for testing, therapy, or nutrition?
• Are these procedural codes covered?
  Psychology Therapy CPT Codes: 90791, 90834, 90837, 90846, 90847, 90785
  Neurodevelopmental/Psychological Testing CPT Codes: 96130, 96131, 96132, 96133, 96136, 96137
  Nutrition CPT Codes: 97802, 97803, 97804
• What is my deductible and has it been met? Is this for my family or for each individual?
• How much is my co-pay? What percentage of each session fee is covered?
• How many therapy sessions per year does my health insurance cover?

A final determination on payment is only made when the claim is submitted, regardless of any information you or our clinic has been given. You remain responsible for paying any portion of service not covered, if your insurance does not agree to cover all or part of the services you received.

Health Savings or Flex Savings Account (HSA/FSA) dollars can be used for most of our services. Medical insurance policies may cover all or part of nutrition or psychology services, but insurance can also decide that preventative or elective services are not “medically necessary” and thus not covered by your plan.

We will process in-network and out-of-network claims, pre-authorizations, and first-time appeals on your behalf.

We offer both hourly rates and “bundled services” rates. Choosing to self-pay allows you to choose a service “bundle” which will set the cost of services prior to starting services. This way you will know exactly how much services will cost and what they cover. Please be aware that insurance companies will only accept hourly bills submitted after service is completed. Comparisons are provided as a courtesy to help make informed decisions about care costs. However, the total cost of services is subject to change based on actual services provided. Though we try to provide you with an estimate to compare rates and payment options prior to starting services, it is not possible to receive an exact number of hours or exact cost until a service has been completed and submitted to insurance.

Keep in mind that private paying clients can 1) avoid having their permanent health record include mental health diagnosis or personal, sensitive information, 2) freely choose services based on needs and values the patient and provider decides, and 3) determine the length of treatment and care desired without limits. (Your medical spending plan may require additional information to authorize.)

CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, DBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – these are just some of many therapy interventions that have been proven to be effective in treating different disorders.

Sometimes trying to decide which therapy approach is right for you seems like swimming in alphabet soup.

Based on the initial evaluation results, we at Stepping Stone Clinic will help find the right therapy approach that best fits the issues at hand while keeping in mind patient’s strengths and challenges. Know that at Stepping Stone Clinic, we believe in recommending evidence-based treatments – meaning research has found evidence that the specific therapy type is effective in treating a specific issue.

If we do not have a provider who has been trained in a specific treatment that would be best for you or your loved one, our Behavioral Health Coordinator (BHC)A BHC is our special team member who helps guide and support your care across providers. Think of the BHC as your personal go-to care advocate and motivator! will help connect you to a community provider who can help. This is one way we help turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

Integrated mental health care is an emerging field when professionals from different disciplines work together to provide care.

Not only is it easier for the patient but research also says it makes sense to put together different services at one clinic to address multiple areas of health.

For patients, their care improves when they have one treatment plan that covers different health specialties and their providers are able to collaborate together.

For providers, this means being able to address behavioral, health, and community needs with additional support, resources, and opportunities to work together to treat the whole person.

At Stepping Stone Clinic, we work hard to remove blocks that get in the way of your care.

Afterall, health is health and wellbeing is for the whole person.

An Integrative Nutritionist approaches health from a whole body perspective, in which, food is not just about calories or fat grams, but also has an emotional, mental, and physical component.

Think about it this way. Your body is a complex system of different parts that all have to work together to create a state of well-being. Different nutritional deficiencies and imbalances have been found to impact mental health. Knowing this food-mood connection, your mental health plan should have nutritional support.

That’s why Integrative Nutrition is such a vital part of what we do at Stepping Stone Clinic.