CMS Price Transparency Data

Psychotherapy session (45 minutes)

Facility: Hospital for Special Surgery

Billing Code: 90834 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$205

about 1.1× the $181 Medicare rate · typically $108–$308

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$124

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $81 under the fair price · 0.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $181 Fair price $205 This hospital $124 Cash price $180 Hospital's list price $180

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NY hospitals

Highest price of the 9 NY hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $68 Priciest $124

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 NY hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a Psychotherapy session (45 minutes) is about $205 (about 1.1× the $181 Medicare rate). Hospital for Special Surgery charges insurers about $124, or about $180 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in New York, NY.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

4 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna HumanaKaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company	Price range	vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$99 - $245	55%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$172 - $202	95%
Aetnamajor	$176 - $194	97%
Cignamajor	$199 - $230	110%
Fidelis Care	$74 - $112	41%
+ 4 smaller / regional plans	$85 - $272

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price (about 180), before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 90834.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Hospital for Special Surgery is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 90834.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at Hospital for Special Surgery

Compare: Psychotherapy session (45 minutes) at other NY hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.