Is it legal for me to do private pay with clients who have insurances that I'm paneled with?

Asked by: Heidi Wyman  |  Last update: January 27, 2026
Score: 4.9/5 (31 votes)

Insurance Contracts and Cash-Pay Limitations They unfortunately may not allow you to “just take cash” from a patient with that insurance, even if the patient wants to be self-pay. There is often a clause that mandates you directly bill the insurance company for any covered services provided to their insureds.

Can you private pay if you have insurance?

It's not illegal to self-pay your medical bills, even if you have insurance, and sometimes it makes sense to do it. But if your insurance often doesn't cover what you need, or you never reach the deductible amount, it may be time to make a switch.

Is it illegal to self-pay when you have health insurance?

While it is not illegal to self-pay if you have insurance, we always encourage individuals to have the right health plans to ensure they are prepared for significant medical expenses. Still, we know that there are times when it does not make sense to file a claim with the insurance company.

Is it legal to use someone else's insurance?

Letting Someone Else Use Your Health Insurance is a Federal Crime. Your friend or family member needs medical care but has no insurance. You have good health insurance. You look enough alike that if no one scrutinizes the picture on your ID too closely, your loved one could probably get away with using it.

Can I bill my insurance for therapy?

If you plan to use your insurance to cover your therapy costs, ask your provider what billing codes they use to code their sessions. Then, call your insurance's customer service number and ask if your plan covers those billing codes.

The Secret Behind Accepting Private Pay & Insurance For Your Group Home

23 related questions found

Can unlicensed therapists bill insurance?

Can a non-licensed therapist bill insurance? Only licensed providers can practice psychotherapy, and only credentialed providers can get paid by insurance companies. But that doesn't mean only the licensed, credentialed provider can actually manage the billing.

What is super billing?

A Superbill is used by healthcare providers as a primary source of data for creating claims. These claims will eventually be submitted to payers for reimbursement. Essentially, a Superbill is an itemized list of all services provided to a client.

Can you pay for someone else's health insurance?

Yes, family members can make a premium payment on your behalf, as well as your church, federal programs such as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, or any charity that doesn't make financial help available based on health status.

Is it illegal to use insurance money for something else?

The short answer is that yes, you can choose to do whatever you want with the insurance money, but you need to ask yourself whether or not this is the best decision. If you need the cash more than you need to pay for the repairs, then this might seem like the correct decision.

Is it illegal to use someone else's address for insurance?

If you live somewhere with a high rate of auto theft, your premium may be higher. Lying about your address on your car insurance is illegal, even if you're related to or know the people who live at the false address you list.

What is the No Surprises Act?

The No Surprises Act protects consumers who get coverage through their employer (including a federal, state, or local government), through the Health Insurance Marketplace® or directly through an individual health plan, beginning January 2022, these rules will: Ban surprise billing for emergency services.

Can my small business pay for my health insurance?

Thankfully, federal law allows employers to reimburse employees for their monthly premiums for individual health insurance policies, as long as it's done through a compliant health reimbursement arrangement (HRA).

Can I ask for cash instead of health insurance?

It is legal to offer employees cash in lieu of health plan benefits, but it has to be done appropriately through a cafeteria plan that includes a “cash-in-lieu” agreement. If they opt out for cash in the agreement, they will be taxed on those funds as if they were wages.

What does private pay mean in insurance?

Term used to identify those patients whose costs are not covered by a government program. Private pay can mean a person is paying for services themselves (private pay), or it can mean that a patient has commercial insurance and is having to cover some of the costs themselves (out-of-pocket).

How to charge self-pay patients?

The best rule for charging self pay patients is to explain Good Faith Estimates to them upfront. Now, what exactly are Good Faith Estimates, you may ask? Essentially, they are documents that healthcare providers give patients to outline the expected costs for a medical service ahead of time.

Can I pocket insurance money?

Legally, you are allowed to keep the claim money instead of using it for repairs. However, keeping the claim money rather than repairing your vehicle comes with potential consequences.

Is it illegal to use someone else's money without permission?

Misappropriation of funds refers to the illegal use of another person's money. While the person committing the offense was given lawful access to the money, it is the use for their own purposes or another unauthorized use that makes it a crime.

What are subrogation rights?

“Subrogation” refers to the act of one person or party standing in the place of another person or party. It is a legal right held by most insurance carriers to pursue a third party that caused an insurance loss in order to recover the amount the insurance carrier paid the insured to cover the loss.

What is prohibited use insurance?

Prohibited use

If your house becomes inaccessible, Loss of Use insurance can help with living costs beyond only inhabitable dwellings. For you to use this house insurance coverage, your home does not have to be impacted directly; if your surrounding homes are affected, you can apply for Loss of Use insurance coverage.

Can I pay someone else's insurance?

While it is not illegal to pay for someone else's policy, you might run into issues if she's on your policy as well. Car insurance is regulated at the state level and priced at the zip code level. So, if she's on your car insurance policy but not living at your residence, you will probably run into some problems.

Can you pay other people's medical bills?

Paying someone else's medical expenses is categorized as a qualified transfer—or in other words, a “non-gift” gift. This means that the IRS allows you to make this type of gift without incurring the federal gift tax or the federal generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT).

Can I pay insurance premium of my friend?

However, paying for someone else's policy (where you are not the policyholder) is inadvisable, as payments made towards such plans cannot be claimed under Section 80C. Ideally, each member of your family should be insured in some capacity.

What is Thrizer pay?

Thrizer is a payment service designed to help clients pay for out-of-network therapy. Get your reimbursements FASTER. We handle the hassle of submitting claims. The service is call Thrizer, helps facilitate clients reimbursements from their Insurance provider for out of network (OON) therapy.

Does a superbill need an EIN?

The provider should also include their 10-digit National Provider Identification (NPI) and employer identification number (EIN) for tax purposes. Your diagnosis: Your insurance company needs to know why you needed physical therapy services. So, a superbill needs to include your diagnosis in the form of an ICD code.

What is a third party payer?

A third-party payer is anyone who pays for medical services other than the patient. In the US, the most common third-party payers are commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. All of these payers have their own sets of conditions that the provider must meet in order to get paid.