Unfair Mental Health Billing Investigation

Have you been charged unfair cancellation or no-show fees by a provider, even when you gave notice or weren’t at fault?

Many healthcare, therapy, and professional service providers advertise flexible or patient-centered scheduling, but in practice, impose steep and sometimes arbitrary cancellation or late fees, often exceeding $100 per session. These charges are frequently presented without prior notice, clear consent, or consistent enforcement, leading to unexpected mental health billing for patients and clients.

Unclear, Inconsistent, and Excessive Fee Policies

Some providers apply cancellation fees regardless of how much advance notice is given, or impose late/no-show charges without confirming whether the provider was available or the appointment could proceed as scheduled. In many cases, patients report being charged:

• For appointments canceled by the provider

• For sessions shortened or terminated early by the provider

• For services they were not eligible to receive (due to legal, medical, or licensure reasons)

• For duplicate or erroneous charges, including unauthorized withdrawals

These practices are often buried in complex intake documents or vaguely referenced during onboarding, but still result in the automatic debiting of funds from patient accounts, even in cases where cancellation was unavoidable or justified.

Potential Consumer Protection Violations

When providers fail to clearly disclose cancellation terms, impose excessive penalties, or fail to address billing disputes, they may be violating consumer protection laws that prohibit deceptive and unfair mental health billing practices. These issues are especially concerning when employer-sponsored programs, mental health benefits, or insurance coverage are involved and providers continue to bill patients directly for services already paid for.

We’re Investigating

If this sounds familiar, you may be part of a large group of consumers affected by these unlawful charges. Fill out the questionnaire below for us to get a better understanding of your concerns.