Chapter 9 - THE RATE SHEET
CYRI charged Haley’s trust higher rates than most private clients.
Academic coaching:
Private clients — $120/hour.
Haley trust — effective rate $185/hour.
Outdoor resilience:
Private — $160/hour.
Haley trust — $240/hour.
Case coordination:
Private — usually bundled.
Haley trust — separately billed at $225/hour.
Rachel defended the difference.
Trust-funded clients required:
more documentation,
more reporting,
more family meetings,
more compliance.
Fair.
Then Priya compared another trust-funded child.
Same documentation burden.
Rates:
about 15% lower than Haley’s.
Why?
Rachel said:
“Haley’s case was complex.”
Grace asked:
“What made it complex?”
Rachel looked at Danny.
“Her mother.”
Silence.
Danny almost laughed.
Her questions had become billable complexity.
Rachel’s rate defense also included geographic data.
Specialized pediatric coaching in their area ranged widely.
Some providers charged:
$110 per hour.
Others:
$250.
Premium family support programs charged even more.
Priya did not accuse Rachel of charging above all market rates.
Instead she showed pattern.
CYRI charged Haley:
near the top of every category.
Other comparable clients:
middle of the range.
Why?
Rachel said Haley required:
more phone calls,
more reporting,
more behavioral planning.
Then investigators pulled call logs.
Danny received fewer calls from CYRI than most parents.
The “extra family coordination” was happening mostly between:
Rachel,
Margaret,
Frank,
and the trust.
Not Danny.
In other words, the family was billing Haley’s trust partly for discussing Haley among themselves.
That did not make every minute illegitimate.
It made the conflict obvious.
Then a private email surfaced.
RACHEL TO MARGARET:
Haley trust can carry premium rate. Henry never pushes back if reports look clinical enough.
Margaret replied:
Don’t get greedy.
Rachel:
I’m not. We’re still below specialty therapy.
That email changed the tone.
May you like
Not everything was fraudulent.
But pricing was being driven partly by what the trust would tolerate.
