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Sample report: real insurer names, invented dollar figures.

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Your local rates report

An insurer-by-insurer look at your local market, from the insurers' published rates.

Prepared for
Carl Rogers, LMFT
Market
Raleigh, NC
ZIP code
27601
Report date
July 30, 2026
Peers
174 LMFTs

The lay of the land, at a glance.

Four numbers that describe the market for LMFTs in the Raleigh, NC area.

Billing CodeIndividual psychotherapy, 60 min
LMFTs in your area
174
In-network across major commercial payers in the Raleigh, NC area.
Median insurer rate (90837)
$139
Half the insurers near you pay more than this per session, half less.
Highest-paying insurer
BCBS North Carolina
Median 90837 rate $157, about 13% above the area median.
Rate spread
$26
BCBS North Carolina ($157) pays $26 more per session than Ambetter (Centene) ($131) .

Insurers included in this report.

Every insurer in your area, including those with too little local data to compare.

Included
6
Aetna, Ambetter (Centene), BCBS North Carolina, Cigna, MedCost, UnitedHealthcare (includes Oscar Health)
Limited data
None
Every insurer here has enough local peers to publish.
Not included
1

No data yet for Humana. Details on our insurers page.

Oscar Health uses the UnitedHealthcare (Optum Behavioral Health) network, so its rates appear under UnitedHealthcare (Optum Behavioral Health).

What insurers typically pay LMFTs per session, in the Raleigh, NC area.

Every insurer’s 90837 rates for LMFTs near you, pooled.

Billing CodeIndividual psychotherapy, 60 min
Providers at the same rate1×10×25×40+
Peer rate dot plot for CPT 90837Each dot is one LMFT's published rate; the shaded band is the middle half, the line its median. Bigger dots are several providers at one rate. 44 rates across 6 insurers.Across allcommercial payersN = 44MEDIAN $145Typical rates$100$125$150$175$200
Peer rate dot plot for CPT 90837
PayerRateMarker
Across all commercial payers$145median
Across all commercial payers$169p75
Across all commercial payers$92
Across all commercial payers$97
Across all commercial payers$102
Across all commercial payers$106
Across all commercial payers$108
Across all commercial payers$112
Across all commercial payers$115
Across all commercial payers$119
Across all commercial payers$121
Across all commercial payers$121
Across all commercial payers$126
Across all commercial payers$127
Across all commercial payers$128
Across all commercial payers$131
Across all commercial payers$132
Across all commercial payers$134
Across all commercial payers$135
Across all commercial payers$138
Across all commercial payers$139
Across all commercial payers$141
Across all commercial payers$142
Across all commercial payers$143
Across all commercial payers$146
Across all commercial payers$148
Across all commercial payers$149
Across all commercial payers$151
Across all commercial payers$154
Across all commercial payers$158
Across all commercial payers$159
Across all commercial payers$160
Across all commercial payers$162
Across all commercial payers$164
Across all commercial payers$168
Across all commercial payers$171
Across all commercial payers$174
Across all commercial payers$175
Across all commercial payers$179
Across all commercial payers$181
Across all commercial payers$185
Across all commercial payers$187
Across all commercial payers$191
Across all commercial payers$196
Across all commercial payers$202
Across all commercial payers$207

Each dot is one LMFT's published rate; the shaded band is the middle half, the line its median.

More info
Bigger dots are several providers at one rate. 44 rates across 6 insurers. The band is a reasonable range to expect before you apply; where any one insurer lands within it varies.

Each insurer, sized and placed.

Each insurer in the Raleigh, NC area, placed by its median LMFTs rate and by how many people it covers per local provider.

Panel opportunity map

LMFTs · Raleigh, NC · CPT 90837

X-axis
Billing CodeIndividual psychotherapy, 60 min
  • Above the area median
  • Near the median
  • Below the median
  • Well below
  • Bubble size = estimated covered lives

5 insurers in this metro for LMFTs on CPT 90837. The average of their medians is $140 per session. 2 pay above it, 3 at or below.

Tabular view of the Panel Opportunity Map. Rows are insurers; columns are rate, members per local provider, and the number of local peers behind each insurer's stats. Estimated covered lives for this insurer in your area, per active provider in your specialty practising there: everyone available locally, not only the providers we hold rates for. The last column is different: it counts only the peers we hold rates for, which is what the rate column rests on.
InsurerMedian rateMembers per local provider (est.)Local peers
BCBS North Carolina$157More members per local provider103
Aetna$141Typical71
Cigna$136Typical60
UnitedHealthcare$133More members per local provider93
Ambetter (Centene)$131Fewer members per local provider31

Not shown: MedCost (no estimate of how many people they cover in your area).

Each insurer, profiled.

One card per insurer in the Raleigh, NC area, measured against the area average of $141.

More info
The area average is the average of these insurers’ medians. ‘Local providers per member’ is the insurer’s estimated covered lives divided by every LMFTs practising nearby, not only those we hold rates for.
Billing CodeIndividual psychotherapy, 60 min

BCBS North Carolina

Median 90837
$157
75th-%ile rate
$181
Providers in peer group
103
Members per local provider (est.)
More members per local provider

The highest-paying insurer in your area. +11% vs. the area average

MedCost

Median 90837
$148
75th-%ile rate
$170
Providers in peer group
32

Pays around the average for your area.

+5% vs. the area average

Aetna

Median 90837
$141
75th-%ile rate
$162
Providers in peer group
71
Members per local provider (est.)
Typical

Pays around the average for your area.

at the area average

Cigna

Median 90837
$136
75th-%ile rate
$156
Providers in peer group
60
Members per local provider (est.)
Typical

Pays around the average for your area.

−4% vs. the area average

UnitedHealthcare

Median 90837
$133
75th-%ile rate
$153
Providers in peer group
93
Members per local provider (est.)
More members per local provider

Pays around the average for your area.

−6% vs. the area average

Ambetter (Centene)

Median 90837
$131
75th-%ile rate
$151
Providers in peer group
31
Members per local provider (est.)
Fewer members per local provider

The lowest-paying insurer in your area.

−7% vs. the area average

What each insurer typically pays.

Every insurer with local rates for your credential, highest median first.

Billing CodeIndividual psychotherapy, 60 min
InsurerMedian90837
  • Middle half of local rates (25th to 75th)
  • Median
BCBS North Carolina
$15725th–75th: $138–$181
MedCost
$14825th–75th: $130–$170
Aetna
$14125th–75th: $124–$162
Cigna
$13625th–75th: $120–$156
UnitedHealthcare
$13325th–75th: $117–$153
Ambetter (Centene)
$13125th–75th: $115–$151
Local 90837 rate range per insurer, highest median first.
Insurer25th percentileMedian75th percentileProviders
BCBS North Carolina$138$157$181103
MedCost$130$148$17032
Aetna$124$141$16271
Cigna$120$136$15660
UnitedHealthcare$117$133$15393
Ambetter (Centene)$115$131$15131
The band is the middle half of each insurer’s local rates; the marker is its median.
More info
An offer below the band is a fair reason to ask how the fee schedule was set.

Three caseload scenarios.

Estimated gross income for the same caseload at three different 90837 rates.

Billing CodeIndividual psychotherapy, 60 minAssumptions

960 sessions per year.

Three caseload scenarios.

  1. Lower-rate example

    $125,760

    $131 per session

    Caseload entirely on the lowest-paying insurer in your area.

    Ambetter (Centene) only at $131 / 90837.

  2. Blended-rate example

    $143,040

    $149 per session

    Equal share across the top insurers by median rate.

    Equal-share average across BCBS North Carolina, MedCost, Aetna.

  3. Higher-rate example

    $173,760

    $181 per session

    Top insurer at the 75th-percentile rate, a level they pay roughly 1 in 4 of that insurer's providers.

    BCBS North Carolina at the 75th-percentile rate of $181.

All figures are gross, before taxes and overhead, and assume every scheduled session is billed and paid.

How well-supplied your area is for MFTs.

How many MFTs practice near you per 100,000 residents, against the national rate.

In the Raleigh, NC area

Your read

Your area has somewhat more MFTs per resident than the country as a whole.

Comparison

National rate: about 31 practising MFTs per 100,000 people.

All rates at all the insurers on one curve.

Every local LMFTs rate for Individual psychotherapy, 60 min, from every insurer, on one smoothed curve.

Billing CodeIndividual psychotherapy, 60 min
Peer rate distribution for CPT 90837The peer median is $145. 44 rates. Each small dot under the curve is one filed rate; the curve smooths them.densityMEDIAN $145P75 $169P25 $127$75$100$125$150$175$200$225
Peer rate distribution for CPT 90837
#Rate
Median$145
P75$169
1$92
2$97
3$102
4$106
5$108
6$112
7$115
8$119
9$121
10$121
11$126
12$127
13$128
14$131
15$132
16$134
17$135
18$138
19$139
20$141
21$142
22$143
23$146
24$148
25$149
26$151
27$154
28$158
29$159
30$160
31$162
32$164
33$168
34$171
35$174
36$175
37$179
38$181
39$185
40$187
41$191
42$196
43$202
44$207

The peer median is $145. 44 rates.

More info
Each small dot under the curve is one filed rate; the curve smooths them.

A general credentialing timeline.

Every insurer differs, but in general, credentialing looks something like this. Typically it can take 90–120 days.

  1. 1
    Week 0
    CAQH ready
    Profile complete and attestations current. An outdated CAQH profile is the most common avoidable delay.
  2. 2
    Week 1–2
    Apply
    Submit through the insurer's provider portal or via email. Confirmation usually arrives within a few business days, or you can email to confirm.
  3. 3
    Week 2–10
    Verification
    The insurer verifies license, board status, education, and work history. Make sure to respond if they request additional documentation.
  4. 4
    Week 10–14
    Review and offer
    The insurer will review the file. If approved, they will send you a contract to sign.
  5. 5
    Week 14–18
    Effective date
    Contract countersigned and an effective date set. Directory listings follow in about 30–60 days.
Some insurers move faster when they need more providers in your area.

Five clauses worth a careful read.

Common terms in a behavioral-health panel contract: what each one is, and what to watch for.

  1. Evergreen renewal terms

    Contracts auto-renew unless you give written notice, often 60 to 90 days before the anniversary.

    More info
    Put the exact window in your calendar so a planned non-renewal does not lapse into another term.

  2. MFN / parity clauses

    Asks you to extend your lowest rate with any insurer to this one.

    More info
    Any later improvement with another insurer can be matched downward here. Often negotiable; a strike-through with a short explanation is the usual approach.

  3. Code-substitution and down-coding policy

    Lets the insurer reassign a billed code to a lower-paying one after internal review.

    More info
    Distinct from medical-necessity denials. Often referenced under 'claims editing' or 'correct coding'; worth tracing to the policy document.

  4. Termination without cause

    Either side can end the agreement without cause on notice, often 90 days.

    More info
    Confirm the notice runs both ways and that continuity-of-care duties for clients mid-treatment are spelled out.

  5. Fee-schedule reference

    Some contracts reference a fee schedule instead of attaching it.

    More info
    Ask in writing for the current and any pending versions before signing.
A one-time attorney review is typical for a first contract; most state associations keep a referral list.

Learn more about how we generate these numbers on our methodology page.

Something off?

Flag this report.

If a number looks wrong (a stale file, a rate that doesn’t match your remittance), tell us and we’ll check it.

Source: each insurer’s Transparency in Coverage filings. For information only; not financial, legal, insurance, or negotiation advice.

This is a sample. Yours uses real published rates for you and your local peers.

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