05/28/2026
Working within the insurance model of mental heath care has become increasingly more oppressive, especially to small private practice clinicians.
If you’ve emailed me recently and I’ve been slower to respond than usual… this is why.
This stack? All BCBS records requests received since Thursday. Every single one is for a different client seen at Northern Lights Therapy. And this doesn’t even include the audit I’m actively fighting right now.
In all my years in this field, I have never seen this volume of records requests come through in such a short amount of time.
Providers are being buried in audits, investigations, documentation demands, and clawback threats while still trying to actually care for clients. Meanwhile, we’re left wondering whether insurance companies are truly reviewing medical necessity… or simply looking for reasons to take money back years later.
This is the reality many mental health providers are facing behind the scenes right now. It is exhausting, overwhelming, and honestly becoming unsustainable.
I never wanted to seriously consider stepping away from accepting insurance, because access to care matters deeply to me. But what is happening right now is making it incredibly difficult to continue operating this way long term.
The system is breaking providers while simultaneously making it harder for clients to access care. And that should concern everyone.
🖤💚
