Hey there, lovely humans! Let’s talk about something that can feel a bit uncomfortable but is oh-so-important: insurance.

At ERA, we’ve made the conscious and very intentional decision to operate as out of network with insurance companies, and we want to share the reasoning behind that.

Spoiler alert: it’s all about you and the quality of care we can provide!

You can also see our entire fee schedule here.

The Lowdown on Our Out-of-Network Status

You might be wondering, “Why can’t you just take my insurance? It would make life easier!”

And we get it! Navigating the world of insurance can feel like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube while blindfolded. But here’s the short answer: by staying out of network, we can offer a more personalized, flexible, and high-quality therapeutic experience.

There are a LOT of misconceptions out there about being in network or out of network with insurance. There’s a lot of pieces that goes into it, and every therapist is going to think a little bit differently about this decision.

Here’s what went into our decision:

1. Privacy: When you use your in network insurance benefits, your insurance company has the ability to request your confidential medical records at any time. They may use those to decide they don’t want to pay for your treatment, or that you haven’t gotten better fast enough, or that you’ve gotten too much better and don’t need therapy anymore. We don’t think they should have access to your information whenever they feel like it, and we feel like YOU should decide when to see a therapist and which therapist you get to see. Someone who has never met you shouldn’t be deciding anything about the therapy that YOU get.

2. Quality: Insurance companies often impose limitations on the number of sessions and the types of treatments covered. By being out of network, we can tailor your therapy to your unique needs without being bound by insurance rules. More personalized care? Yes, please! We’re also able to pay our clinicians higher rates, supporting their work/life balance, by not having a billing department navigating insurance hurdles so we can keep our costs down.

3. Focus on You: When we don’t work with insurance companies, we can concentrate on providing you with the best therapeutic experience possible. No more worrying about the fine print of your coverage—just you, your clinician, and the work you need to do together. We decide together what is right for you. Our clinicians are able to spend their time with their clients or furthering their professional development, instead of bogged down by additional insurance paperwork or requirements.

4. No Hidden Costs: Insurance can be tricky, and sometimes your benefits aren’t as great as they seem. “In network” doesn’t mean “no bill”. By being out of network, we maintain transparency around our fees and services, so you’ll always know what to expect without any nasty surprises. Providers who take insurance aren’t allowed to share their rates, so one practice may have a fee of $75, while another has a fee of $200. If your insurance isn’t paying until you meet your deductible, you’re on the hook for that entire cost until you do meet it. Then you get a giant surprise bill in a few weeks or months. They can also decide at any time that they won’t pay anymore, or want to claw back months or years of prior payments, leaving you with a giant bill. Yikes.

5. Avoiding the Red Tape: The insurance approval process can be a time-consuming hassle, and we want to spend our time focusing on your mental health rather than wrestling with paperwork. Staying out of network allows us to keep things simple and efficient. Then we get to focus on what we do best: helping you heal.