How much does a Behavioral health counseling (per session) typically cost in the United States?

Across 209 U.S. hospitals in 36 states, the modeled national fair BaseRate for Behavioral health counseling (per session) is $256, with most hospital negotiated prices falling between $112 and $840.

Why do hospital prices for Behavioral health counseling (per session) vary across facilities?

Commercial rates are negotiated individually between hospital systems and insurers, creating wide local dispersion even within the same metro area. Comparing facility-specific cash and in-network rates before scheduling care helps avoid overpaying.

National price data · 209 hospitals

Behavioral health counseling (per session) cost

What a behavioral health counseling (per session) costs across the U.S. — and the fair price to aim for.

Near Fair BaseRate Benchmark

1.00×vs. Fair Market Price

Typical commercial prices here match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.

86/100 · Verified

86/100Hover Any Check Below to See How Prices Were Audited

File Completeness90

Price Logic88

Peer Alignment86

Clean Billing83

Real Cash Discount84

Regional Value Leader

Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.

Behavioral Pricing FingerprintLow Shoppable & Low Captive

Uniform Value Leader

Northern Light C A Dean Hospital maintains disciplined commercial pricing across both elective shoppable care (0.7× Medicare) and captive emergency/ancillary departments (1.0× Medicare). Patients and health plans benefit from predictable, below-benchmark rates (0.80× Fair BaseRate) without hidden ancillary cross-subsidization.

#6 of 27 in ME · 18th State Percentile#281 of 3,385 in U.S. · 8th National Percentile

Advantage

Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)

Elective shoppable care is priced 20% below peer Fair BaseRate (0.80×)
Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 58% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
CMS clinical safety score (76/100 safety score) with 96% patient recommendation
IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (59.3% AGB cap)

Watchout

Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)

Even at low-cost facilities (1.00× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
Captive ER (1.0×) & laboratory (0.9×) services average 1.43× higher multiples than routine shoppable care (0.7×)
Specialty infusion drugs (J-codes) average 1.1× Medicare — verify per-unit billing on itemized statements
Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 7.6× Medicare (25¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)

Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging

0.7× Medicare

Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.

Back-Door Captive & ER1.43× Divergence

1.0× Medicare

Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.

Quantile Tail Spread+14% Upper Tail

Q25 0.36× · Q50 0.86× · Q75 0.98×

Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.

Select any lens to inspect department markups, federal cost accounting, or insurer discounts.

Department & Integrity Multiples (vs. CMS Medicare Cost Anchor) Green ≤1.3× · Teal 1.3–1.8× · Amber 1.8–2.5× · Rose >2.5×

Front-Door Shoppable CareFront-Door Shoppable

0.7× MedicareGood

Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive

0.9× MedicareGood

Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable

0.8× MedicareGood

Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive

1.0× MedicareGood

Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive

0.9× MedicareGood

Specialty & Infusion Drugs (J-Codes)Back-Door Captive

1.1× MedicareGood

Self-Pay Cash Honesty & 501(r)Integrity & Outcomes

58% Cash Edge · 99/100Good

CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes

3 CMS · 76/100Fair

National Geographic Price Intelligence · 50-State + DC/PR Cartogram

National State Price Index Heatmap · Behavioral health counseling (per session)

State commercial price index vs. U.S. median (1.00×) and average Medicare multiple across all 53 priced states & territories

<0.93× Below Fair Price 0.93–1.05× Near Average 1.05–1.18× Elevated >1.18× High-Cost State

AK1.15× 1.8× Med ME0.35× 1.5× Med WA1.24× 1.5× Med ID0.87× 1.6× Med MT1.20× 1.5× Med ND0.44× 2.4× Med MN0.46× 1.6× Med WI3.25× 2.0× Med MI0.48× 1.1× Med VT0.86× 1.3× Med NH1.57× 1.9× Med OR1.14× 1.5× Med NV1.05× 1.7× Med WY0.85× 1.0× Med SD3.10× 1.8× Med IA3.50× 1.7× Med IL0.63× 1.5× Med IN1.01× 1.4× Med OH0.96× 1.4× Med PA1.01× 1.3× Med NY0.99× 1.4× Med MA1.20× 1.9× Med CA3.50× 1.5× Med UT1.00× 2.2× Med CO1.00× 1.9× Med NE3.50× 2.5× Med MO0.56× 1.4× Med KY0.93× 1.7× Med WV0.86× 1.5× Med VA1.33× 1.7× Med MD1.20× 1.2× Med NJ1.80× 1.7× Med CT1.00× 1.3× Med AZ2.49× 1.5× Med NM1.10× 2.0× Med KS1.00× 1.8× Med AR0.93× 1.4× Med TN0.94× 1.3× Med NC0.93× 1.6× Med SC0.44× 1.4× Med DE1.21× 2.3× Med DC1.31× 1.9× Med RI1.40× 1.6× Med OK1.03× 1.7× Med LA3.50× 1.4× Med MS0.44× 1.3× Med AL3.27× 1.1× Med GA1.07× 1.6× Med HI0.98× 1.3× Med TX0.44× 1.8× Med FL1.40× 2.1× Med PR0.77× 1.1× Med

ME0.35×1.5× Med MS0.44×1.3× Med ND0.44×2.4× Med SC0.44×1.4× Med TX0.44×1.8× Med MN0.46×1.6× Med MI0.48×1.1× Med MO0.56×1.4× Med IL0.63×1.5× Med PR0.77×1.1× Med WY0.85×1.0× Med VT0.86×1.3× Med WV0.86×1.5× Med ID0.87×1.6× Med AR0.93×1.4× Med KY0.93×1.7× Med NC0.93×1.6× Med TN0.94×1.3× Med OH0.96×1.4× Med HI0.98×1.3× Med NY0.99×1.4× Med CO1.00×1.9× Med CT1.00×1.3× Med KS1.00×1.8× Med UT1.00×2.2× Med IN1.01×1.4× Med PA1.01×1.3× Med OK1.03×1.7× Med NV1.05×1.7× Med GA1.07×1.6× Med NM1.10×2.0× Med OR1.14×1.5× Med AK1.15×1.8× Med MA1.20×1.9× Med MD1.20×1.2× Med MT1.20×1.5× Med DE1.21×2.3× Med WA1.24×1.5× Med DC1.31×1.9× Med VA1.33×1.7× Med FL1.40×2.1× Med RI1.40×1.6× Med NH1.57×1.9× Med NJ1.80×1.7× Med AZ2.49×1.5× Med SD3.10×1.8× Med WI3.25×2.0× Med AL3.27×1.1× Med CA3.50×1.5× Med IA3.50×1.7× Med LA3.50×1.4× Med NE3.50×2.5× Med

5 Lowest-Price States (Confounder-Isolated Value Leaders)

ME0.35×(1.5×)MS0.44×(1.3×)ND0.44×(2.4×)SC0.44×(1.4×)TX0.44×(1.8×)

5 Highest-Markup States (Strict Bill Audit Recommended)

NE3.50×(2.5×)LA3.50×(1.4×)IA3.50×(1.7×)CA3.50×(1.5×)AL3.27×(1.1×)

The BaseRate high confidence

$256

the fair national price for a behavioral health counseling (per session)

typically $112–$840 across 209 hospitals · how we calculate it

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

209

hospitals priced

states

7.5×

price spread — where shopping matters

—

vs. Medicare

Across 209 hospitals in 36 states, a behavioral health counseling (per session) has a fair BaseRate of $256 and typically costs $112–$840. The cheapest state is ME; the priciest is IA.

Cheapest hospitals for a behavioral health counseling (per session)

Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 36.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at U.S. Hospital Benchmark (Zero PHI Required)

Fair BaseRate™ $256

Medicare Rate $148

Self-Pay Cash Request Quote

Insurer Median $257

1. Amount on Your Bill or Quote ($) Pre-filled with U.S. Hospital Benchmark’s charged/list benchmark

2. Household Annual Income ($) Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines

3. Household Size (1–8) 2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person

Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $224 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $224

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $224).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Request Prompt-Pay Quote

Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible

Ask U.S. Hospital Benchmark's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$361 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $256 Fair BaseRate ($148 Medicare)

Your bill ($617) is $361 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($256) and 4.2× the $148 Medicare rate.

1-Click Factual Dispute Summary: Copy a citation-backed benchmark memo (with CMS CCN, CPT code, Medicare reference, Fair BaseRate, and 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) calculations) to paste into patient-portal messages or billing appeals.