Why Don’t Therapists Take Insurance in Salt Lake City, Utah?
Many people searching for a therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah, are surprised to learn that not all therapists accept insurance. This can understandably feel confusing or even frustrating when you’re trying to access mental health care. Rather than arguing for or against insurance, this article explains some of the practical, clinical, and administrative factors that influence a therapist’s decision. My goal is simply to provide clarity so you can make informed choices about your care.
Common Reasons Therapists May Not Accept Insurance
Insurance companies reimburse therapists less than they do other professionals
The majority of insurance companies pay therapists far below what they pay other healthcare professionals with the same degree and experience. When you get paneled with certain insurance companies they make the therapist sign a contract but they might not disclose how much they will pay you. Therapists have gone to years of school and have student debt and bills to pay just like every other professional but insurance company pay really low rates for their services.
Insurance companies require a diagnosis
In order for insurance companies to agree to pay for your therapy sessions, they require the therapist to give you a diagnosis. That’s not a big deal to some people but having a diagnosis can be harmful. There are also many people that seek therapy because they want to improve themselves and feel better but they don’t necessarily have a diagnosis. Insurance companies will not pay for these people to go to therapy. The diagnosis that is given to you in therapy can impact your life and stay on your health records long after you’ve been treated for it. These diagnoses might prevent you from opportunities or experiences you might want in the future. Recently, I had an experience when applying for life insurance and they were required to know all mental health diagnoses, which could impact someone's ability to be insured.
Insurance companies dictate your care
Along with a diagnosis, insurance companies get to decide how long you see your therapist. They don’t want to have to pay for your treatment beyond what they need to. If they believe you don’t need therapy anymore, they will not pay for it. Oftentimes therapists are put in ethical dilemmas to make it seem like you are doing worse than they are so that insurance will pay for their sessions. Insurance companies will also only pay for certain issues but they won’t tell you what those issues are so if what you are struggling with isn’t one of those covered areas, they won’t pay for your session. This leaves you with a bill you didn’t expect or your therapist doesn’t get paid for the time they spent focused on helping you.
Privacy Considerations When Using Insurance
While therapists are bound by strict confidentiality laws, using insurance requires sharing certain information (such as diagnoses and treatment details) with a third party. Some clients prefer to limit this disclosure and choose private pay options for that reason.
Insurance companies can take months to pay the therapist
There’s no way around living without getting paid. As much care and compassion as I have for my clients, I can’t feed my family without money. It’s the world we live in, and it’s unfair to assume therapists don’t deserve repayment for their services in a timely manner. Insurance companies will take months and months to pay your therapist for your therapy session. When I was paneled with insurance, it took me six months to be paid by an insurance company. This is a practice that makes it so therapists don’t take insurance because they may never be paid.
Questions people ask about therapists and insurance
People have a lot of questions and assumptions about therapists not taking insurance. Here are some of the common ones.
Isn’t it unethical for therapists to not take insurance?
There is no ethical boundary for a therapist to take insurance. Therapists ethically need to be competent and have integrity. There are many questions for some people on how to support insurance companies who make billions of dollars every year while denying paying for their subscriber's healthcare or reimbursing their providers can be ethical. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong to accepting or denying insurance but it’s not unethical by any means to not accept insurance.
Do you just expect people to be able to pay your fee?
Nope. I don’t expect anyone to pay me anything. I’m never here to convince people to spend their money on seeing me as a therapist. I want you to make the decision that makes sense for your finances and for your lifestyle. It’s your choice what you do with your money, and I won’t tell you otherwise. I set my fee based on the number of how much I need to survive and give quality care to my clients. It’s not that I think I’m worth a certain dollar amount but it’s just a number to help me and my family survive.
I wholeheartedly believe therapy can change lives, and that is the exact energy I bring to my therapy sessions. I believe in my clients and their ability to transcend far beyond what they are struggling with. I have paid out of pocket for a loved one’s therapy for several years, and it’s worth it to me. That doesn’t mean that’s something that has to be important to you. Not taking insurance for a therapist saves them more time to focus on taking care of you rather than chasing down money from a claim.
Therapy Options in Salt Lake City, Utah
If you're looking for therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah, you may find both insurance-based and private pay providers. Maple Canyon Therapy is a private pay practice offering online therapy for women across Utah. Many clients choose private pay for greater privacy, flexibility, and continuity of care. A free 15-minute consultation can help you decide whether this approach fits your needs.
Looking to start therapy for anxiety in Salt Lake City, Utah?
If you are struggling with anxiety and want to be able to find relief, I would love to be able to help! Maple Canyon Therapy has a therapist for anxiety specializing in anxiety therapy. To begin therapy, follow the steps below:
Meet with an anxiety therapist
Find relief from anxiety symptoms
Therapy Services for Women in Salt Lake City
Anxiety therapy isn’t the only mental health service provided. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include EMDR therapy, eating disorder therapy, body image therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, counseling for college students, and birth trauma therapy. Schedule a phone consultation to see how I can help!
Online Therapy in Utah
I know it can be hard to take time out of your busy schedule to drive to a therapy appointment. It’s also difficult when you might not have a therapist in your town that treats the issues you are struggling with. This is why I provide online therapy in Utah. It’s just as effective as in-person therapy but without the inconvenience.
Online counseling allows me to work with clients no matter where they live in Utah.
About the Author
Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee has a master's degree in social work from Utah State University. She also has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a bachelor's degree in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. Ashlee has been working with women who have anxiety for over a decade. She loves to help the clients she works with deal with their anxiousness by utilizing self-compassion. She believes that anxiety can become far more manageable and doesn’t have to take over your life.