Receipts for Services

Question
Until recently no one has ever asked me for a receipt for my services. But now some clients have wanted something for their insurance company. Can you give some suggestions as to what type of receipt is acceptable?

Answer
I can only let you know what I use as a counselor who uses hypnosis in her practice. No insurance company has refused me, as yet, when I use the following. On a sheet of paper I've created a chart with columns as follows (and a line around the entire chart): Date, CPT Code, Service Rendered, Charges, Payment Made, Balance Due. The CPT Code tells what type of counseling session it was. Examples are: 90801 - for intake/interview type session 90806 - for regular counseling session 90880 - for hypnosis session Each session has to have the counseling code (CPT) reiterated, which is why it's included in your columns. (Even the hypnosis code is still a counseling code, so you could skip it and use the counseling one if you are concerned about ignorance of hypnosis standing in the way of a proper response by the insurance company.) Above the top line, I put in the DSM code (diagnostic), which is required by insurance. It tells what the issue is for which the person is coming. I'm a counselor who happens to use hypnosis. The codes that I most frequently use, for the types of clients I get are: Medical issue 316.00 Smoking Cessation 305.1 Weight Control/Mgmt 307.50 Depression 311.00 Phobia 300.29 Acute Stress (Anxiety can be placed with-in this) 308.3 Post-Trauma 309.81 Pain (psychological) 307.80 Pain (physical) 307.89 You may wish to contact someone you know in the medical field, and ask them what the codes are for the particular issues you work with. Or you can find the information in any public library, in the DCM volume. I include my business name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address and web site at the top. My business name is bold and larger than the rest of the information. The sheet is as professional as I can make it. If you don't already have a business name, create a strong-looking business title for yourself, using your professional initials after your name. Be sure that whatever you use, or call yourself, is within any guidelines or restrictions by your particular state. Under the columned chart are the words MAKE PAYABLE TO (etc.) Under that are the date of when I began practice, my state license number, and my business I.D. (Your SSN, if you don't have a business name. However, in this day and age, you may not wish to make your SSN so "public", unless it is requested by the particular insurance company.)