The Superbill: A No-Bulls*hit Guide to Getting Your Money Back

By Liz Wooten, LPC

About the Author: Liz Wooten, LPC, is the founder of Enlitens and a rebellious academic dedicated to dismantling the broken mental health system. As an AuDHD therapist with years of front-line crisis experience, she brings a deep, lived understanding to her work. Read Liz’s Full Story Here

Let’s be clear: Your insurance company doesn’t want you to understand your out-of-network benefits. The confusion is a feature, not a bug. It is a deliberate, profitable friction designed to make you give up and leave the money you are owed on the table.

You’re a manager. You handle complex budgets and timelines for a living. But when you look at your insurance portal, you feel a familiar wave of executive function dread. It’s one more project you don’t have time for, another series of bureaucratic hoops to jump through. The thought of fighting them for reimbursement feels so exhausting that it almost seems easier to just eat the cost.

That feeling isn’t laziness; it’s a predictable response to a system designed to overwhelm you into submission. It is a war of attrition, and their greatest weapon is making the process just complicated enough that your already overloaded Executive Function waves the white flag.

The Neurobiological Truth Bomb

Self-advocacy in a broken system is not just an administrative task; it is a profound act of reclaiming your agency and regulating your nervous system against the threat of financial invalidation.

A “superbill” is not as complicated as they want you to think. It is simply a specialized medical receipt. It’s the standardized document that translates the services you received into the bureaucratic language the insurance company requires. It is the key that unlocks the reimbursement door.

Here is the simple, no-BS, step-by-step process for using this tool.

Step 1: You Pay for Your Session. You’ll pay your therapist directly at the time of service. This keeps the transaction clean and predictable.

Step 2: We Send You the Superbill. At the beginning of each month, we will automatically email you a superbill that details all of your sessions from the previous month. It will contain all the necessary codes and information. This is an automated part of our commitment to Cost transparency.

Step 3: You Submit It to Your Insurance. You will log into your insurance provider’s online portal and upload the superbill PDF to their “claims” or “reimbursement” section.

Step 4: They (Eventually) Reimburse You. Depending on your specific out-of-network benefits, your insurance company will mail you a check or deposit money directly into your account, reimbursing you for a portion of what you paid.

It can be a slow process, but it is a straightforward one. It is a fight worth fighting. When you’re ready to Start, we’re here to make sure you have the tools you need.

Go Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole

A Guide to Our Sliding Scale

Out-of-network benefits aren’t the only option. Learn about our confidential, trust-based sliding scale model.

The Assessment "Cash Grab"

A deep dive into the predatory pricing of mental health assessments and how to spot a practice that’s ripping you off.

No Surprise Bills. Period.

Our rebellion against the predatory healthcare industry starts with a simple promise: you will never get a surprise bill from us.

*The information here is meant to guide and inform, not replace the care of a qualified healthcare professional. If you have questions or concerns about a medical or mental-health condition, please reach out to a trusted provider. The examples shared are based on general personas—no personal health details are used. At Enlitens, your privacy is a top priority, and we fully comply with HIPAA regulations to keep your information safe and confidential.

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This is not a space for debate or unsolicited advice. It is a space for sharing stories. We read every submission, and we will periodically feature the most resonant and validating stories here with the author’s explicit permission. Submit your’s below!

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Take one second. That’s all I’m asking.

Do not try to “calm down.” Do not try to “fix it.” Do not listen to the voice screaming that you need to do something right now.

Just be here, with me, for one single breath.

My name is Liz. I’ve spent years working overnight in the ER, sitting with people on what was often the worst night of their entire lives. I have sat in the eye of the hurricane, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the chaos you feel right now is not the truth.

It is a storm in your nervous system. And a storm is just a weather pattern. It is not you. It is not permanent. And you do not have to navigate it alone.

Right now, your brain’s alarm system is screaming. The logical part of your brain has been taken offline. That is a normal, brilliant, biological survival response. But you and I are going to bring it back online, together.

We are going to do one, simple, physical thing. This is not a bulls*hit mindfulness exercise. This is a direct, manual override for your nervous system.

Place your hand on your chest.

Can you feel that? The rise and fall. The rhythm. That is the anchor. That is the proof that you are here, in this moment, and you are alive.

Keep your hand there.

Now, we are going to make one choice. The storm is telling you there are a million overwhelming things you have to do. That is a lie. There are only three choices right now, and you only need to pick one.

If you or someone else is in immediate, physical danger and you need help on site, right now:

This is the button you push when you need the paramedics or the police to show up. This is the “bring the fire truck” button.

If you are having thoughts of suicide and you need to talk or text with a human, right now:

This is the national, 24/7 lifeline. It is free, it is confidential, and it is staffed by trained counselors who are ready to listen without judgment. This is the “I need a lifeline” button.

If you are in St. Louis, you are not in crisis but you are in deep distress and need to talk to someone local:

Behavioral Health Response (BHR) is our community’s lifeline. They provide free, confidential telephone counseling and can connect you with local resources. This is the “I need a local guide” button.