Some insurance plans will cover part of your therapy costs, even if your therapist isn’t in their network. This is called out-of-network coverage, and it allows you to work with the clinician who feels like the best fit for you while still using your insurance benefits.

Even if I don’t work directly with your insurance company, you may still be able to get reimbursed for a portion of your session fees.

You would pay for sessions at the agreed-upon rate, usually following the schedule set in your treatment plan. At the end of each month, I can send you a superbill, which is simply a detailed receipt showing the services you received and how much you paid.

You can submit this superbill to your insurance company, and they’ll review it to determine how much of the cost they’ll reimburse you for. Every plan is a little different, but many will cover a percentage of therapy costs.

For example, my session rate is $200. If your insurance plan reimburses 80% for out-of-network services, you’d get $160 back per session. If you see your therapist twice in a month, your total cost after reimbursement would be $80 instead of $400.

Because every insurance plan is unique, the best way to know what’s included is to call your insurance provider. You can ask them questions like:

• Do I have out-of-network benefits for mental health services?
• What percentage of my session fee will be reimbursed?
• Are online (telehealth) sessions covered?
• Do I need a referral or pre-authorization first?

Learning about your out-of-network benefits can help you make the most of your insurance while getting the care that feels right for you.