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Here in NYC my out of pocket therapy costs $175 per 45-min session, which is lower than what my therapist charges new clients. It’s a pretty normal rate, many o

Here in NYC my out of pocket therapy costs $175 per 45-min session, which is lower than what my therapist charges new clients. It’s a pretty normal rate, many of my friends in therapy pay between $175-225 per session. Most therapists here don’t accept insurance, many insurance plans don’t cover mental health, and government programs don’t cover it at all. £20-80 per session sadly sounds like a deal here in the US.

xxpor 6y ago
I thought MH coverage was one of the essential services under Obamacare?
- mtalantikite 6y ago
  It is, but it varies state to state and the coverage generally isn’t great. You have to hit your deductible before coverage starts and then after that it’s usually a 50% coverage. So if you’re lucky enough to find a therapist that takes insurance, you’re still paying a lot out of pocket. I just searched what it’d cost me here in NYC to purchase and go through the insurance my therapist does take (in-network): The plan costs about $650/month and I’d have to hit a $5,500 deductible before mental health coverage kicks in. Then it’s a 50% coverage after that. I’d pay about $6700 out of pocket with insurance versus about $7350 without it. This doesn’t include the $7800 I’d have to pay for the plan itself. I wouldn’t really call that a mental health benefit, it’s easier to just find a therapist you like and just figure out a way to pay for it if you can. Most people can’t and it’s a shame because good therapy is transformative. My life is so much better because of it.
  - xxpor 6y ago
    But how is that different than seeing a regular doctor? The issue here seems to be having a high deductible in general. In my case, I have a $1500 deductible too and my guy doesn't take insurance either, but I submit the bill in 2 seconds with an online claim and it counts against the deductible.
    - mtalantikite 6y ago
      It’s not, it’s just still really expensive as an ongoing process. £20-80 per session still sounds great to me.

xxpor 6y ago

I thought MH coverage was one of the essential services under Obamacare?

mtalantikite 6y ago
It is, but it varies state to state and the coverage generally isn’t great. You have to hit your deductible before coverage starts and then after that it’s usually a 50% coverage. So if you’re lucky enough to find a therapist that takes insurance, you’re still paying a lot out of pocket. I just searched what it’d cost me here in NYC to purchase and go through the insurance my therapist does take (in-network): The plan costs about $650/month and I’d have to hit a $5,500 deductible before mental health coverage kicks in. Then it’s a 50% coverage after that. I’d pay about $6700 out of pocket with insurance versus about $7350 without it. This doesn’t include the $7800 I’d have to pay for the plan itself. I wouldn’t really call that a mental health benefit, it’s easier to just find a therapist you like and just figure out a way to pay for it if you can. Most people can’t and it’s a shame because good therapy is transformative. My life is so much better because of it.
- xxpor 6y ago
  But how is that different than seeing a regular doctor? The issue here seems to be having a high deductible in general. In my case, I have a $1500 deductible too and my guy doesn't take insurance either, but I submit the bill in 2 seconds with an online claim and it counts against the deductible.
  - mtalantikite 6y ago
    It’s not, it’s just still really expensive as an ongoing process. £20-80 per session still sounds great to me.