If you're considering paying for hypnotherapy treatment through insurance, this article will help uncover which insurance companies will pay for hypnotherapy treatment. If you're looking for a specific treatment for smoking, or weight loss, we'll also give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for those treatments.
Typical Costs
Fees for your first session of hypnotherapy may include an initial consultation and hypnotherapy treatment. This will cost between $150 to $500. Additional visits may cost $75 to $500. Some hypnotherapists offer a free 30-minute initial in-person or phone consultation for you to get a feel if you are comfortable working with the hypnotherapist and to aid in you finding the hypnotherapist for both your health and wellness needs.
Will my Insurance Cover Hypnotherapy?
While many insurance companies are beginning to cover hypnotherapy, most plans that do are higher-cost plans. Also, your health insurance company may require trying other traditional forms of treatment that did not work before allowing payment for hypnosis. This is a process that many medical insurance companies have you go through first to determine what they call "medical necessity". If you have had chronic pain for six months and the traditional forms of treatment such as prescription drugs or physical therapy have been ineffective, there's a higher chance your insurance will cover your hypnotherapy treatments. A good place to start is by calling the phone number on your insurance card and asking if hypnotherapy is covered by your plan. If the representative asks for the "CPT Code", it is 90880.
Which Insurance Companies Cover Hypnotherapy?
The following insurance companies may cover your hypnotherapy, depending on your plan. Be sure to check with your insurance provider to verify coverage before seeking treatment. Your hypnotherapist may also be able to assist you.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield:
Will cover hypnotherapy for chronic pain and if it is done along with psychotherapy depending on the plan you have.
Cigna:
Will cover hypnotherapy if hypnosis is being used to treat a covered condition and depends on the plan you are paying for.
Humana:
Will cover hypnotherapy. In fact, the company openly blogs about hypnosis and depression.
United Health Care:
Different plans may cover hypnosis for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
Aetna:
Considers hypnosis and hypnotherapy to be experimental and investigational and consequently will not cover it.
Medicare:
Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) covers hypnotherapy if they consider it medically necessary. This could be to treat a medical condition including psychological ones.
To get the coverage you will need a prescription from a doctor. It should state your medical condition and/or why hypnotherapy is medically necessary. Some of the “medically necessary” conditions include chronic pain, anxiety, and somatoform.
What To Do If Your Hypnotherapist is not in the Insurance Network
In an attempt to keep the focus on the client, many mental health therapists and hypnotherapists both are choosing to not participate in medical insurance networks. Insurance networks require large amounts of paperwork, "diagnosis" labeling, and electronic billing clearinghouses and software that cost additional time and money. Because of the huge limitations placed on providers by insurance companies and the huge depletion of time investment, many practitioners decide to not participate in health insurance.
If you find a hypnotherapist you want to work with, but they are not participating in your medical insurance network, there is an alternative. You can file what is called a "claim" with your insurance company using your invoice of payment and "procedure code" CPT 90880 to get reimbursement from your insurance company. This is called "out of network benefits" and is usually paid to you at 80% of what the insurance company would have paid a participating provider in their network.
Other Ways of Paying for Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is considered a medical expense similar to that of mental health counseling services. This means that you can use your Health Savings Account for Flexible Spending Account on hypnotherapy services.
Insider info: you can even use your HSA, HRA, or FSA to pay for yoga! You can pay for certain health care, vision, and dental costs with an HRA, HSA, or Health Care FSA. The type of account you have may determine whose costs are covered and which costs are eligible.
HSA - You can use your HSA to pay for eligible health care, dental, and vision expenses for yourself, your spouse, or eligible dependents (children, siblings, parents, and others who are considered an exemption under Section 152 of the tax code). HRA - You can use your HRA to pay for eligible medical, dental, or vision expenses for yourself or your dependents enrolled in the HRA. Your employer determines which health care expenses are eligible under your HRA. Refer to your plan documents for more details. Health Care FSA - You can use your health care FSA to pay yourself back for eligible health care, vision, and dental expenses for yourself, your spouse, or eligible dependents (children, siblings, parents, and other dependents as defined in your plan documents). Tips for Shopping for Hypnotherapy
Friends: Ask your friends or online group members for a recommendation for a hypnotherapist.
Research: Research online to find a hypnotherapist that may be the right fit for you. Google and Yelp are good places to start to find reviews. Also, research the governing body (or professional association) where the hypnotherapist is a member to verify their credentials, their ethical vows, and their level of continuing education.
Read: Read online reviews. Other people's experiences can give in insight into what you may expect when being treated by a particular hypnotherapist.
Training and specialties: Ask and find out about each hypnotherapist's training and specializations. For example, if you're looking to lose weight or stop smoking, you'll want to find a hypnotherapist who specializes in treating those conditions. You'll also want to determine the credibility of the education obtained. Since there is no specific accreditation for licensing, it's best to be sure the education obtained was through a Board of Education accredited school, college, or institute.
Introductory session: Call and ask for an introductory session. (Don't forget to ask about what insurance they take). The hypnotherapist should be able to explain their education, their governing association, and their specialties.
Evaluate: Go to your first appointment and evaluate the hypnotherapist and the office. Is it professional? Do you feel comfortable? Feeling comfortable and safe is a major required prerequisite to having successful hypnotherapy sessions.
Decide: Make a decision to return or keep looking for a hypnotherapist you like and who meets your needs.
References
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 2022. Does Medicare Cover Hypnotherapy? Retrieved June 22, 2022 from https://medicareplantips.com/does-medicare-cover-hypnotherapy/
Cigna (2022). Eligible and Ineligible Medical Expenses. Retrieved June 22, 2022 from https://www.cigna.com/individuals-families/member-guide/eligible-expenses
Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved January 3, 2022, from http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/300_399/0388.html
Excellus Blue Shield. (n.d.). Retrieved January 3, 2022, from https://www.excellusbcbs.com/wps/wcm/connect/72a93967-b2c8-4f85-aac5-775312a05019/hypnosistac18.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=72a93967-b2c8-4f85-aac5-775312a05019
Hypnosis for anxiety and depression treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved January 3, 2022, from https://www.humana.com/prevention-and-care/managing-conditions/behavioral-health/hypnosis-for-anxiety-and-depression-treatment
What kinds of behavioral health services are covered? (n.d.). Retrieved January 3, 2022, from https://apps.cignabehavioral.com/web/consumer.do#/whatIsCoveredFaqs
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