TURNSTONE PSYCHOLOGY
Fees for Private Psychological Services
Private Psychological services are not covered by Medical Services Insurance (MSI) in Nova Scotia. However, many health plans provided by private insurers often provide coverage for our services. It is recommended that potential clients contact that insurer in order to determine the amount of coverage they have available for psychological services.
Forms of payment accepted: e-transfer, debit, credit, and cash. We will also direct bill insurance companies when possible. Some insurance companies do not allow psychologists to bill them directly. Both Blue Cross and Canada Life allow direct billing. Sun Life does not. If your insurance company does not allow direct billing, we require payment at the time of services and will provide a receipt for you to submit for reimbursement. Please ask whether we can bill your insurance company directly.
FAQ
Questions to Ask Your Insurance Provider
- Does my insurance plan cover psychological services provided by a registered psychologist?
- How much coverage do I have for psychological services?
- Do I have a co-pay? What percentage of the fee does the insurer cover?
- Do I need a referral from a physician to qualify for insurance coverage?
- When does my coverage renew and how much coverage do I have remaining for the year?
- Will the insurance company cover more than one hour per day of psychological services? For example, if I receive five hours of services for an assessment.
- Are there specific types of psychological services that the insurance company will not cover (e.g., psychological assessment, report writing)?
Turnstone Psychology follows the fee schedule recommended by the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia.
Current fee schedule (as of October 1, 2024):
Individual Therapy
$225
Hourly Rate
(50 minute sessions)
Assessment
$225
Hourly Rate
(50 minute sessions)
Couples and Family Therapy
$225
Per Hour/Per Person
(50 minute sessions)
Custody / Access & Legal / Forensic Assessment
$345
Hourly Rate
(50 minute sessions)
The hourly rates also apply to report preparation, telephone consultations, letter writing, and form completion.
Additional Services:
- Psychoeducational Assessment: $3300-3600
- ADHD Assessment: billed hourly, but generally in the range of $1500-1800. A full Psychoeducational Assessment is recommended for consideration of ADHD when difficulties in an education setting are also present.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment: $2000-3400. Typically, child ASD assessments will be at the lower end of this range and assessments that require consideration of complex mental health difficulties will be towards the higher end of the range. Our ASD assessments for children and youth are a joint effort between two PhD-level psychologists.
- Mental Health Assessment of Parents for Department of Community Services: $4500
- Mental Health plus Psychoeducational Assessment of children for Department of Community Services: $6200
- Psychological Assessments for International Adoption: These assessments are completed by Dr. MacLeod and typically are billed hourly. Most often, they cost between $850 and $1200 per parent. Private insurance can be billed. Some countries (e.g., India) or adoption agencies require the assessment to be conducted in person; Dr. MacLeod has often travelled to complete assessments in various parts of Nova Scotia.
- Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Assessment for Disability Benefits – Dr. MacLeod typically completes these assessments and aims to book and complete the assessments in a timely manner. The assessments are completed at no cost to the Veteran or RCMP officer and are billed directly to VAC. Dr. MacLeod is often available to provide treatment following the assessment, if that is desired.
TURNSTONE PSYCHOLOGY
Cancellation Policy
Appointment times are typically reserved for one individual/couple/family and might not be easily filled on short notice. We require 24 hours notice for cancellation of therapy appointments without fees. Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours notice will be subject to a fee equal to 75% of the anticipated cost of the service that day (therapy or assessment). Exceptions will be made for inclement weather.
We require one week notice for cancellation of assessment appointments (e.g., ADHD, ASD, Psychoeducational assessments). Appointments cancelled within a week of the appointment will result in a charge of 75 % of the fees for the time that was reserved for the appointment.
Please note that your invoice for a missed appointment will state “missed appointment” and most insurance companies will not reimburse for this cost.