Is it unethical not to take insurance?
Some people think it’s unethical for therapists not to take insurance.
As far as I know, there’s nothing in the code of ethics about it.
There are valid reasons not to take insurance: difficulty getting paneled, tedious paperwork, low reimbursement rates, delayed payments, rejected claims, and clawbacks.
Being in-network makes your services more accessible but it’s not the only way.
You can offer out-of-network billing through a company like Thrizer. You can offer sliding scale spots through Open Path Collective.
Some therapists may feel an obligation to accept insurance and that’s okay. But it’s not okay to shame therapists who don’t take insurance.