Managing your availability for in-network client referrals

If you’re a SimplePractice customer who is in network with a participating insurance health plan or employee assistance program (EAP), you’re eligible to receive qualified new client referrals in your SimplePractice account. This means that care coordinators and members can view your availability and request an appointment through the healthcare partner’s provider directory. You can turn in-network client referrals off at any time.

In this guide, we'll cover:

• Managing your availability for in-network client referrals
• Receiving in-network appointment requests
• Turning off in-network appointment requests
• FAQs

Note: In-network client referrals are powered by integrations with healthcare partners like Optum/UnitedHealthcare (UHC), ComPsych, Lucet, and Uprise Health.

Managing your availability for in-network client referrals

You can manage your availability for in-network client referrals directly in your SimplePractice account. Depending on the healthcare partner you’re enrolled with, you can set this up as new client availability or partner-specific availability.

Managing availability for Optum/UHC client referrals

Tip: You can also follow the steps below to manage your availability for Lucet and Uprise Health client referrals.

Once you’re enrolled to receive in-network client referrals from Optum/UnitedHealthcare, your existing new client availability will appear to members in their provider directory.

Note: If you’re in network with a participating Optum/UHC affiliated plan, we’ll notify you of your eligibility by email. To learn more, see Who is eligible for in-network client referrals?

To view your existing availability:

1. Navigate to your calendar
2. Click the gear icon > View availability schedule

3. Choose the availability block you'd like to view
   • To learn more about creating and editing your availability, see Managing your availability blocks
4. You’ll see Optum listed under In-network referrals
5. You can check the box for Optum if you want to receive Optum/UHC client referrals during this block

6. Click Save

Note: To update the service associated with appointment requests from Optum/UHC, navigate to Marketing > In-Network Referrals and select Change under Initial service. The initial service for ComPsych, Lucet, or Uprise Health appointment requests can't be customized. To learn more, see What if I want to hold an initial consultation before accepting an in-network appointment request?

You can also create additional availability blocks for Optum/UHC client referrals. To do this:

1. Navigate to your Availability schedule
2. Click anywhere on the calendar to create a new availability block
3. Specify the days, times, and location(s) you’d like to make available
4. Under In-network referrals, check the box for Optum
5. Click Save

In addition to managing availability for in-network client referrals directly from your calendar, you can do so by navigating to Marketing > In-Network Referrals and selecting Manage availability.

• To update an existing availability block, click Edit
• To delete an existing availability block, click the trash can icon
• To open an existing availability block to in-network appointment requests, check the box under Allow requests from Optum
• To create a new availability block, click Add new availability

New client availability blocks that you've enabled for Optum will be visible in their member portal, where members will be able to request appointments based on this availability.

Managing availability for ComPsych client referrals

Note: For certain healthcare partners, like ComPsych, you can connect your SimplePractice account to receive in-network client referrals through their portal. If you need further assistance, please reach out to ComPsych directly. To learn more, see Who is eligible for in-network client referrals?

Once you’re enrolled in the ComPsych referral channel, you can create partner-specific availability blocks for in-network client referrals. To do this:

1. Navigate to Marketing > In-Network Referrals
2. Under Availability, click Manage availability next to ComPsych
3. Enter an Availability title
4. Specify the days, times, and location(s) you’d like to make available
   • Tip: To create a buffer before or after each appointment requested through this channel, click Advanced settings and specify how many minutes you’d like to block off

5. Click Save

Any partner-specific availability you create will only be shown to ComPsych members. You can also make changes to your ComPsych availability from the In-Network Referrals page. Next to ComPsych, click Manage availability under the Availability column, then:

• Select the pencil icon to edit an availability block
• Select the trash can icon to delete an availability block
• Select Add Availability to create additional availability blocks

Receiving in-network appointment requests

In-network clients can request appointments based on your availability through a healthcare partner’s provider directory. To manage these appointment requests in your SimplePractice account:

1. Click Requests in the left navigation menu
2. Review the request
   • Select the three horizontal dots next to the request to View client profile and View on calendar
   • Click the prescreener icon next to the client’s name to view their health plan information

3. Select Accept to schedule the appointment or click the three horizontal dots to Decline, Send intake documents, or Reschedule

Note: The option to Reschedule an appointment is only available for clinicians enrolled with Optum and Lucet.

To reschedule an appointment request:

1. Click the three horizontal dots next to the request
2. Select Reschedule

3. Choose up to 5 suggested times and Continue to email

4. Add an optional note and Send Email

The referred client will receive an email with a link to reschedule in the Client Portal.

Note: Once the client reschedules with one of your suggested times, their request will reappear on the Requests page, where you can choose to Accept or Decline it.

Optum/UHC appointment requests

Appointment requests submitted through Optum and UHC will include client and health plan information, such as the client’s name, date of birth, reason for visit, insurance plan, member ID, and group ID. You can view this by clicking the prescreener icon next to the client’s name from the Requests page.

Tip: This client and health plan information will also be saved as a prescreener on the referred client’s Overview page.

You’ll also see a link to Provider Express, which will take you directly to Optum’s provider portal. While referred clients are prequalified, this client and health plan information can be used if you’d like to confirm eligibility and benefits before their first appointment.

Note: For assistance with Provider Express, please reach out to your group practice administrator or the Provider Express support team directly.

Turning off in-network appointment requests

You can turn off in-network appointment requests from a participating health plan at any time. To do this:

1. Navigate to Marketing > In-Network Referrals
2. Under Open for requests, toggle the referral source(s) On or Off
   • For ComPsych, you'll be redirected to their provider portal to unenroll from in-network appointment requests

Note: When you turn off in-network appointment requests for a healthcare partner, your new client availability will no longer appear in their member portal.

To turn in-network appointment requests back on, return to the In-network Referrals page.

Tip: If you’d prefer to update your availability for in-network client referrals, see Managing your availability for in-network client referrals.

FAQs

• Who are participating healthcare partners?
• Who is eligible for in-network client referrals?
• What information is shared with healthcare partners?
• How can I have referred clients complete documents before their first appointment?
• What if I want to hold an initial consultation before accepting an in-network appointment request?
• Why am I not receiving client referrals from Optum/UHC?

Who are participating healthcare partners?

SimplePractice has partnered with the following health plans and EAPs to offer in-network client referrals:

• Optum/UnitedHealthcare
• Lucet
• ComPsych EAP
• Uprise Health
  • Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH)
  • American Behavioral (AB)
  • EAP Preferred
  • Reliant Behavioral Health (RBH)
  • Quality Health Solutions (QHS)
  • HMC Health Works

Who is eligible for in-network client referrals?

You may be eligible for in-network client referrals based on your in-network status with a healthcare partner and recent claim filing history. We’ll notify you of your eligibility by email.

SimplePractice customers who are in-network with Optum/UnitedHealthcare affiliated plans will be enrolled automatically to receive in-network appointment requests.

Note: Only clinicians with a Behavioral health therapy, Counseling, Marriage and family therapy, Psychology, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, Psychiatry, Social work, or Substance use counseling specialty are eligible for the in-network client referrals feature. You can update your specialty from Settings > Profile > Clinical info.

Other healthcare partners, like ComPsych, require that you connect your SimplePractice account to receive in-network client referrals through their provider portal. If you need further assistance, please reach out to ComPsych directly.

Note: If you're in-network with a participating healthcare partner and want to enable in-network client referrals or check your eligibility, please submit a help request.

What information is shared with healthcare partners?

When in-network client referrals are turned on for your account, your availability for new clients will be shared with the participating healthcare partner and displayed in their provider directory. The availability information shared with healthcare partners is the same as what's publicly shown to prospective clients on your Client Portal, Professional Website, appointment request widget, or Therapy Finder profile.

To learn how you can opt out of sharing your availability with a healthcare partner, see Turning off in-network appointment requests.

How can I have referred clients complete documents before their first appointment?

To send intake documents to a referred client before taking action on a pending appointment:

1. Click Requests in the left navigation menu
2. Select the three horizontal dots next to the request
3. Choose Send intake documents

4. Choose which forms you want to send
5. Select Continue to Email
6. Customize the email as needed, then click Continue to Review
7. Select Share & Send Now

The referred client will receive an email with a Client Portal link, where they can sign in to complete their intake documents.

Note: To learn more about sending intakes before an appointment, see Managing appointment requests.

What if I want to hold an initial consultation before accepting an in-network appointment request?

You can change the default service offered for Optum/UHC in-network appointment requests to an initial consultation service. This way, these requests will reflect the duration and rate you typically offer for initial consultations.

Note: There's no way to change the default service for ComPsych, Lucet, or Uprise Health.

To do this:

1. Navigate to Marketing > In-Network Referrals
2. Under Initial service, select Change

3. Choose the initial consultation service from the dropdown menu

4. Click Save

Note: If you don’t see an initial consultation service in the dropdown menu, make sure that it’s been made available for appointment requests in Settings > Services and products > Services. To learn how you can create this service, see Creating and using service codes.

Moving forward, any new client appointments requested through Optum/UHC’s member portal will default to this service.

Why am I not receiving client referrals from Optum/UHC?

Taking the following actions in your Provider Express account may increase your likelihood of receiving referrals from Optum:

• Verifying that your information in your Provider Express account is up to date
  • Optum requires verification of your information every 90 days
• Verifying that the Telehealth indicator is enabled (if you offer Telehealth appointments)
• Verifying that the Accepting New Clients indicator is enabled

If one or more of these aren’t current, you may not be showing up in search results in Optum's member portal. For assistance with making updates in your Provider Express account, please reach out to Optum's provider services.

Tip: To learn how you can create additional availability for new client referrals from Optum/UHC, see Managing your availability for in-network client referrals.