MOST AFFORDABLE PROGRAM
There are several reasons why Wellspring California is the most affordable weight loss program for your child.
1. Attend for ONE summer
Whereas traditional weight loss camps encourage campers to return again and again, nearly all Wellspring California campers only need to attend for one summer.
The cost difference between attending Wellspring California for one summer and attending a traditional camp for many summers can be tens of thousands of dollars.
2. Insurance Reimbursement
Unique among weight loss camps, most Wellspring California families are successful in recouping approximately 1/4th of the tuition from their health insurance.
This is due to the fact that the clinical component of Wellspring California includes a psychological assessment and four cognitive-behavioral counseling sessions per week. Specifically, students participate in cognitive-behavioral therapy four times per week, twice individually and twice in a group therapeutic setting.
These services represent a portion of the total cost of tuition, and may be reimbursed by health insurance.
These services can be categorized as either "mental health" or "health" ("medical") treatments and varies depending upon provider, plan, and benefits.
At the end of the summer, Wellspring will submit a statement for these services directly to your health insurance for reimbursement. If pre-authorization is required, we will do our best to ensure that pre-authorization is received prior to the start of treatment.
Typically, families with PPO plans are more likely to receive reimbursement for a portion of the clinical component of the program (as much as $2,000 for a 4-week session, and $1,500 for a second 4-week session). In view of the fact that there are thousands of insurance policies with complex reimbursement procedures, we cannot guarantee that your policy will cover these costs.
Families with HMO's should generally not expect to receive reimbursement, though we encourage families to advocate for their children's health whenever possible.
There are three main questions you should consider when calling your insurance providers:
1) Do you have out-of-network medical and/or mental health benefits?
2) Is there an additional deductible with either?
3) Is pre-authorization and/or pre-certification required, and if so, what is required?
3. Student Loans
Because of Wellspring’s affiliation with our sister program Wellspring Academies, formerly Academy of the Sierras, student loans are available to all Wellspring families. These loans are similar to the loans you might take out to pay for college. They can cover the entire camp tuition + fees, including transportation to and from camp, and feature very low interest rates, a 20-year amortization period, and deferral of payments for up to 6 months. Student loans also have no prepayment penalties or cancellation fees.
Families who take advantage of the student loan program find that the cost of 4 weeks at Wellspring California can be as little as $55 per month.
Because the loan qualification and application process can be confusing, and because Wellspring families can choose from among several student lenders, we recommend that all Wellspring families work with our partner organization, Educational Loans. Educational Loans guides all Wellspring families through the loan qualification and application process and helps families choose the best loan for them. Educational Loans typically can complete this process within 48 hours.
If you are interested in a student loan to pay for the cost of tuition at Wellspring California, please submit an application online or contact Educational Loans today. Educational Loans
1101 East Lakeshore
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Phone (888) 755-3079
Fax (208) 676-1702
sclark@customedloans.com
4. Tax Deduction
On April 2, 2002, the IRS announced a new policy (IRS Ruling 202-19) stating that "Obesity is medically accepted to be a disease in its own right." For taxpayers, this means that treatment specifically for obesity can now be claimed as a medical deduction following a referral from a physician.
For more information, please visit: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc502.html
