Private Pay

Also called self-pay, private pay is paying for medical care or special education services on your own without reimbursement by health insurance or government-funded medical assistance. In the case of special education, when a student is eligible for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504, those services must be provided at no cost to parents. Although many students receiving special education services are funded by their school district, some parents choose to pay for those special education schools on their own because their child has not received the services they feel are best for their child or their child is not eligible under IDEA. When a parent pays on their own, that is called private pay.