To understand how mental health therapy works, one needs to understand the process. This is because there are various methods of therapy that are used by different therapists. There are also different types of therapists who offer different types of therapy. Therefore, the first step is to schedule a consultation appointment with a therapist. Once the appointment is made, the therapist will ask questions to assess your mental health and the type of therapy that would be best for you. Additionally, to find the best mental health treatment for you, you may need to assess your comfort with the therapist.
A free 15-minute consultation with Maksim Tsaryk, LMHC, NCC
Depending on your health insurance and the conditions of your health insurance company
Therapy can cost $20 to $50
Estimate CostAlma has partnered with several insurance companies to help you access affordable mental health care. If you are insured through Aetna, Cigna, Oxford, or UnitedHealthcare (UHC), you can use Alma’s cost estimator tool to check how much you can expect to pay for therapy.
Pricing With Your InsuranceYou’ll see your cost/session ahead of time and can check your benefits. Using Headway will not change your current copay or deductible—it just simplifies using health insurance benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Health Insurance
In-Network (INN) therapists are required to accept the terms of your health plan per their contract with your insurance company. Your insurance company determines the rates that they will pay a therapist, and the therapist takes that rate, regardless of whether their actual rates are higher than the insurance has in their contract. INN therapists may not engage in what is called “Balance Billing”. INN therapists have access to information about your deductible, copayment or coinsurance, and limitations of your plan are, and they will charge you accordingly.
Out-of-Network (OON) therapists are not required to accept the terms of your health plan. They set their own rates, and will charge you accordingly. Some OON therapists are willing to provide what is called a “Superbill”. When you ask for and receive a superbill, you pay the therapist out of pocket for the full amount, and then you submit your superbill to your insurance plan and apply for reimbursement. You may or may not have “Out of Network Benefits” and you should contact your health insurance plan before you plan to pay for therapy in this way to confirm this, otherwise, you may be fully financially responsible for the charges with no chance of reimbursement. Ask your insurance company if you have “out-of-network” mental health benefits covering LMHCs.
This is the fixed dollar amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $2,000 deductible, for example, you will pay your therapist (or other provider) $2,000 directly before your insurance company begins to pay your therapist. You don’t pay your therapist $2,000 in one large lump sum; instead, you pay their full rate out of pocket until the total reaches $2,000. Some health insurance plans include separate deductibles for medical and mental health services.
This is the fixed dollar amount you pay for a single covered health care service after your deductible has been met. With a $2,000 deductible and a $20 copayment, for example, after you pay down the deductible, you pay Headway $20 per session directly, and your insurance plan pays the rest of their contracted rate.
Before you commit to starting your mental health journey, connect with a therapist and see how the session feels to you. The impact and success of therapy is highly correlated with the relationship between you and the therapist. Schedule your free consultation now.
If you are experiencing financial hardship and seeking mental health support, please do not hesitate to reach out and inquire how we can help. We offer a sliding scale for non-insured individuals with financial barriers.
