Why We're Considering Leaving Cigna — And What That Means for Your Care
This is the kind of thing most therapy practices don't talk about publicly. We're going to be different.
We've been having a real conversation about our relationship with Cigna — and whether staying in-network with them is something we can continue to do in good conscience. We're not there yet. No final decision has been made. But we believe you deserve transparency about what's happening and why.
The Honest Truth About Insurance Reimbursement
When an insurance company pays your therapist for a session, they're paying a rate they set — not a rate that reflects the actual cost of providing quality care.
Cigna's reimbursement rates have not kept pace with inflation, cost of living, or the rising complexity of the mental health needs clinicians are seeing. The rate we receive for a 53-minute session with your therapist does not adequately compensate a licensed professional for the education, training, supervision, and clinical judgment they bring to that room.
Our clinicians are exceptional. They have worked hard to be good at what they do. And they deserve to be paid as if that's true.
What "Low Pay" Actually Means for You
This isn't just a business problem. It's a care problem.
When therapists are underpaid by insurance companies, a few things happen:
Caseloads grow to compensate for low reimbursement — which means less capacity for each client
Clinicians experience burnout faster, which affects the quality and longevity of the care they provide
Practices have to make difficult decisions about which insurance panels they can afford to stay on
The best clinicians often leave insurance panels entirely — meaning the therapists most accessible to insured clients are sometimes the ones who can't yet build a private pay practice
This is a structural problem in how mental health care is funded in this country. And while we can't fix the whole system, we can be honest with our clients about how it affects our practice.
What Happens If We Leave Cigna
If we make the decision to depanel from Cigna, we will give you adequate notice — not a letter in the mail on a Friday afternoon. We'll work with you to make sure you have a plan, whether that means transitioning to private pay with us, providing you with a superbill to submit for out-of-network reimbursement, or helping you find another in-network provider if that's what you need.
We're not going anywhere. We're just trying to build a practice where our therapists can do their best work — and that might mean making some hard choices about who pays for that work.
A Note About Private Pay
We know private pay feels like a barrier. It's real — cost is a genuine access issue in mental health care, and we don't minimize that.
What we ask is that you consider what you're actually getting when you pay privately. A therapist who isn't rationing attention across a bloated insurance caseload. A practice that can invest in training, consultation, and quality of care. A relationship that isn't governed by a third party whose primary interest is limiting what they pay.
We offer sliding scale rates for clients who need them and on a limited basis. We accept HSA and FSA accounts. We provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. We're not trying to make therapy inaccessible — we're trying to make sure we can keep providing it with integrity and protect our clients and therapists at all costs.
Questions about your coverage or our fees? We're happy to talk through your options. → Take a look at our fees HERE.
