Therapy is important for the mental health support of so many Americans, but many individuals who need therapy cannot afford traditional therapy payment options. In fact, a survey last year showed that 42% of Americans need mental health care but can’t access it due to cost and other barriers.1 It can also be a challenge for the 27.6 million Americans who are without health insurance.2 Fortunately, there are many mental health providers who offer affordable alternatives for patients who are uninsured or need help covering the cost of therapy. One of those alternatives is sliding scale therapy.
What Is Sliding Scale Therapy?
Sliding scale therapy is a therapy pricing plan that bases weekly therapy payments on your current income. The lower your current income, the less you have to pay for weekly therapy sessions. This is often offered to patients who are uninsured, because they will not have an insurance policy that covers most of the cost of therapy. It may also be limited to patients below the federal poverty line, depending on the provider.
Who Qualifies For Sliding Scale Therapy?
Qualification depends on the mental health provider and their rules. In most cases, only uninsured patients can use sliding scale pricing. This is because insured patients are already only paying a portion of the therapy cost. In some cases, you must be below the federal poverty line in order to apply for sliding scale therapy. Call the mental health provider and go over your income to see if you would qualify for sliding scale.
Who Offers Sliding Scale Therapy?
Any therapist may choose to offer sliding scale pricing. You may also find sliding scale pricing for student therapists, such as graduate students who offer therapy services as part of their training — sometimes supervised by their professor through video. If you are starting your search out, consider searching the internet for “sliding scale therapy in [your area].” If you have a mental health provider network that you prefer to work with, like Rivia Mind, you can call to ask if any therapists offer sliding scale pricing.
How To Begin Sliding Scale Pricing
When you call to ask about sliding scale pricing, you will be walked through the process. You may be asked what your income is and given an estimate of what your weekly cost for therapy would be. If that price is acceptable to you, you may have to fill out paperwork and provide proof of your income to finalize the sliding scale process.
Benefits of Sliding Scale Therapy
The main benefit of sliding scale therapy is that it makes therapy more accessible to patients who might be living on limited means. Patients can pay an amount for therapy that is based on their income, so they know it will be within their budget. It also gives uninsured patients an opportunity to schedule therapy at all, whereas many providers do not offer services to uninsured patients.
By making therapy more accessible, more of the millions of Americans going without mental health support can receive the help they need. This has a number of benefits, including reduced suicide or substance abuse numbers. It can also help to reduce the stigma surrounding therapy. As more and more people have access to therapy and mental health services, therapy becomes more normalized. The shame that can be associated with therapy, or the idea that it might be too “indulgent,” can fade as accessibility grows.
Sliding scale therapy can also show that you have a therapist who is sensitive and understanding of economic challenges. Given the toll that finances can have on emotional and mental health, having a therapist who is sympathetic may make clients more comfortable starting out.
Challenges of Sliding Scale Therapy
Of course, there are also challenges involved in sliding scale therapy. Not every therapist is able to afford to offer sliding scale therapy. Therapists need to be paid in order to meet their own needs and to provide a higher quality of care. Therapists may need to have a strong base of clients who pay full price (or whose insurance pays full price) in order to comfortably offer sliding scale therapy.
Another challenge is that many patients don’t know about sliding scale pricing. The assumption is that therapy is always expensive or may only be for people with a higher level of income. This misconception drives a large number of Americans who believe mental health support is out of reach for them. This is fortunately beginning to go away with the internet and with more accessible therapy services. However, it is important that potential clients know sliding scale is an option that exists and that is likely available to them.
The important thing is to know that there are options out there for those with a limited income to receive therapy and mental health support. Look for what is available in your area, and ask if the skilled and compassionate clinicians at Rivia Mind are able to help. Contact us today to ask whether any of our therapists offer sliding scale pricing or to learn more about how we can help you.
Resources:
- 4 in 10 US Adults Who Need Mental Health Care Can’t Get It: Survey – US News
- US Uninsured Rate Dropped 18% During Pandemic – Center for Disease Control
