How much does a Mental health services (therapy) typically cost in the United States?

Across 331 U.S. hospitals in 40 states, the modeled national fair BaseRate for Mental health services (therapy) is $71, with most hospital negotiated prices falling between $17 and $227.

Why do hospital prices for Mental health services (therapy) 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 · 331 hospitals

Mental health services (therapy) cost

What a mental health services (therapy) 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

Coastal Carolina Hospital maintains disciplined commercial pricing across both elective shoppable care (1.2× Medicare) and captive emergency/ancillary departments (1.0× Medicare). Patients and health plans benefit from predictable, below-benchmark rates (0.90× Fair BaseRate) without hidden ancillary cross-subsidization.

#8 of 52 in SC · 13th State Percentile#673 of 3,385 in U.S. · 19th National Percentile

Advantage

Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)

Elective shoppable care is priced 10% below peer Fair BaseRate (0.90×)
Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 40% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
4-Star CMS clinical rating with 61% patient recommendation (65/100 safety score)
Binding Good Faith Estimate rights under 45 CFR § 149.610 protect self-pay patients before scheduling

Watchout

Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)

Outpatient surgery & OR suites carry a 1.5× markup over Medicare rates
Commercial insurance median sits at 0.90× Fair BaseRate (1.2× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
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.
Consolidated metro market (HHI 4,049) limits in-network hospital competition (Highly Concentrated Monopoly (>2,500))

Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging

1.2× Medicare

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

Back-Door Captive & ER0.83× Divergence

1.0× Medicare

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

Quantile Tail Spread+10% Upper Tail

Q25 0.78× · Q50 0.90× · Q75 0.99×

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

1.2× MedicareGood

Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive

1.5× MedicareGood

Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable

1.3× MedicareGood

Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive

1.7× MedicareGood

Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive

1.6× MedicareGood

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

0.9× MedicareGood

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

40% Cash Edge · 99/100Good

CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes

4 CMS · 65/100Fair

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

National State Price Index Heatmap · Mental health services (therapy)

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 ME1.37× 1.5× Med WA1.24× 1.5× Med ID0.87× 1.6× Med MT1.20× 1.5× Med ND0.55× 2.4× Med MN1.46× 1.6× Med WI1.91× 2.0× Med MI2.48× 1.1× Med VT0.86× 1.3× Med NH2.57× 1.9× Med OR1.14× 1.5× Med NV0.43× 1.7× Med WY0.85× 1.0× Med SD1.98× 1.8× Med IA2.03× 1.7× Med IL0.35× 1.5× Med IN1.01× 1.4× Med OH0.60× 1.4× Med PA0.35× 1.3× Med NY0.35× 1.4× Med MA1.20× 1.9× Med CA2.51× 1.5× Med UT1.00× 2.2× Med CO1.00× 1.9× Med NE2.17× 2.5× Med MO1.00× 1.4× Med KY1.65× 1.7× Med WV0.94× 1.5× Med VA2.06× 1.7× Med MD1.20× 1.2× Med NJ0.38× 1.7× Med CT1.00× 1.3× Med AZ3.50× 1.5× Med NM1.10× 2.0× Med KS0.83× 1.8× Med AR3.02× 1.4× Med TN1.54× 1.3× Med NC0.93× 1.6× Med SC0.35× 1.4× Med DE1.21× 2.3× Med DC1.31× 1.9× Med RI1.40× 1.6× Med OK1.42× 1.7× Med LA0.95× 1.4× Med MS0.35× 1.3× Med AL1.66× 1.1× Med GA1.09× 1.6× Med HI0.98× 1.3× Med TX0.63× 1.8× Med FL0.88× 2.1× Med PR0.77× 1.1× Med

IL0.35×1.5× Med MS0.35×1.3× Med NY0.35×1.4× Med PA0.35×1.3× Med SC0.35×1.4× Med NJ0.38×1.7× Med NV0.43×1.7× Med ND0.55×2.4× Med OH0.60×1.4× Med TX0.63×1.8× Med PR0.77×1.1× Med KS0.83×1.8× Med WY0.85×1.0× Med VT0.86×1.3× Med ID0.87×1.6× Med FL0.88×2.1× Med NC0.93×1.6× Med WV0.94×1.5× Med LA0.95×1.4× Med HI0.98×1.3× Med CO1.00×1.9× Med CT1.00×1.3× Med MO1.00×1.4× Med UT1.00×2.2× Med IN1.01×1.4× Med GA1.09×1.6× 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 ME1.37×1.5× Med RI1.40×1.6× Med OK1.42×1.7× Med MN1.46×1.6× Med TN1.54×1.3× Med KY1.65×1.7× Med AL1.66×1.1× Med WI1.91×2.0× Med SD1.98×1.8× Med IA2.03×1.7× Med VA2.06×1.7× Med NE2.17×2.5× Med MI2.48×1.1× Med CA2.51×1.5× Med NH2.57×1.9× Med AR3.02×1.4× Med AZ3.50×1.5× Med

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

IL0.35×(1.5×)MS0.35×(1.3×)NY0.35×(1.4×)PA0.35×(1.3×)SC0.35×(1.4×)

5 Highest-Markup States (Strict Bill Audit Recommended)

AZ3.50×(1.5×)AR3.02×(1.4×)NH2.57×(1.9×)CA2.51×(1.5×)MI2.48×(1.1×)

The BaseRate high confidence

$71

the fair national price for a mental health services (therapy)

typically $17–$227 across 331 hospitals · how we calculate it

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

331

hospitals priced

states

13.4×

price spread — where shopping matters

—

vs. Medicare

Across 331 hospitals in 40 states, a mental health services (therapy) has a fair BaseRate of $71 and typically costs $17–$227. The cheapest state is SC; the priciest is AZ.

Cheapest hospitals for a mental health services (therapy)

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™ $71

Medicare Rate $41

Self-Pay Cash Request Quote

Insurer Median $65

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: $57 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $57

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 = $57).

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 +$85 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $71 Fair BaseRate ($41 Medicare)

Your bill ($156) is $85 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($71) and 3.8× the $41 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.