Median Commercial Payer-Negotiated Rates Varied Significantly Across Parent Payers For 11 Outpatient Psychiatric Services

Median commercial payer-negotiated rates varied significantly across parent payers for 11 outpatient psychiatric services, according to a recent study of four large insurers: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare. The median rate for all 11 services was $216 across the four insurers. The services included psychotherapy sessions of various types and lengths, diagnostic evaluations, electroconvulsive therapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Commercial rates were a median of 1.37 times the Medicare rate, 0.59 times the list price, and 1.12 times the cash price for the same service. Researchers analyzed data from the Turquoise Health . . .