Billing Service for Solo Therapists

Mukesh MakwanaFounder & CEO · Hands-on medical billing & RCM across 11 specialties · Reviewed October 1, 2026

A solo therapist is the clinician, the scheduler, the credentialing department and the billing office. Billing is usually the part that takes evenings: checking benefits before intakes, chasing denied sessions, keeping CAQH attested and remembering which plan wants which modifier for video sessions. A billing service for a solo therapist should take that work off your plate without adding a new system, and without hiding the numbers from you. This page sets out what that work involves and what to expect from a billing partner.

Where a solo practice loses time and money

Benefits checks before intakes. A client's mental health benefit can sit with a different company than their medical plan. Without checking, the first sessions go to the wrong payer.
Denied sessions nobody has time to work. One denial is a small amount; a few a week, left alone, add up across a year. Our page on mental health claim denials covers the common reasons.
Authorizations that lapse in the middle of a course of treatment.
Credentialing and CAQH upkeep. CAQH asks for re-attestation every 120 days (every 180 days in Illinois), per its quick reference guide, and a lapsed profile can stall a plan application.
Telehealth coding. Place of service and modifier rules differ between Medicare, Medicaid and commercial plans. See the behavioral health telehealth billing guide.

Private pay and good faith estimates

Many solo therapists see some clients without insurance. Under the No Surprises Act rules, CMS explains that when a client is not using insurance to pay, the provider usually must give a good faith estimate of expected charges if the client asks for one or schedules at least 3 business days ahead. Clients need the estimate if they later dispute a bill. CMS publishes the provider requirements and a plain-language guide you can share with clients. A billing partner can keep the estimates, the fee schedule and the superbills consistent so private-pay and insurance billing do not contradict each other.

Your own contracts, or a platform

Many solo therapists start with a platform that holds the insurance contracts, then consider credentialing with plans directly. The trade-offs, from each company's published pages, are in our comparison of Headway, Alma and billing your own insurance. If you go direct, the steps are in our credentialing checklist for new practices, and counselors and marriage and family therapists can now enroll in Medicare as well, as CMS explains; our Medicare enrollment for therapists guide covers it.

Eligibility verification (EV), benefits verification (BV), prior authorizations, and denial management at no cost for your first 30 days.

30-Day Free Trial

What a billing service for a solo therapist should include

Eligibility and mental health benefits checked before the first session and when coverage changes.
Claims sent within days of each session, with the right time-based psychotherapy code and telehealth details.
Every denial and rejection worked, not only the large ones.
Authorization tracking with reminders before sessions run out.
Payment posting and a simple monthly report: what was billed, paid, denied and still open.
CAQH and plan re-credentialing dates on a calendar.
Work inside your existing system, such as SimplePractice or TherapyNotes, under a business associate agreement.

Questions to ask before you hire anyone

Do you work in my EHR, or do I have to switch?
Who checks benefits, and when?
Which denials do you work, and how quickly?
How is your fee calculated, and what is not included? Our medical billing cost guide explains the pricing models.
What will I see each month, and can I see claim status myself?
How do I leave, and how do I get my data back?

How Sterling Global Solution LLC works with solo therapists

We work inside the system you already use, check benefits before intakes, send claims promptly, work every denial and keep your credentialing dates on our calendar, so evenings go back to you. Group practices and psychiatrists are covered on our behavioral health billing and psychiatry billing pages, and small multi-provider practices on private practice billing services. You can try the service on your own claims first.

Frequently asked questions

Is a billing service worth it for a solo therapist?

It depends on how much time billing takes and how many claims go unworked. A billing service should check benefits, send claims promptly, work every denial and keep credentialing current, inside the EHR you already use.

Do solo therapists need to give good faith estimates?

CMS explains that when a client is not using insurance to pay, the provider usually must give a good faith estimate if the client asks for one or schedules at least 3 business days in advance.

Can a billing service work inside SimplePractice or TherapyNotes?

Yes. Sterling Global Solution LLC works inside the EHR you already use, under a business associate agreement.

How often does a therapist need to re-attest CAQH?

Every 120 days, or every 180 days in Illinois, according to CAQH's provider quick reference guide.

Can I try the service before committing?

Yes. New clients can start with our 30-Day Free Trial.

Sources

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, What is a good faith estimate and No Surprises Act provider requirements and resources; Marriage and Family Therapists & Mental Health Counselors.
CAQH, CAQH ProView Provider Quick Reference Guide.

This summarizes official sources and is not legal advice. How we verify this guidance.