Telehealth psychiatry insurance and cost in Tennessee

Self-pay prices

Co-payments are due at the time of service.

Insurance plans

TennCare is not accepted.

Ask intake to confirm network participation for your exact plan and psychiatric appointment before you schedule.

How verification works

Share your insurance card when you book. We confirm coverage and your expected cost before your visit. Verification is not a guarantee of payment by your plan.

What could the first month of self-pay psychiatry cost?

If your first month includes an evaluation and one follow-up, self-pay visit charges would be $400: $250 plus $150. That example is for planning only; how often you are seen is a clinical decision.

Prescriptions are not part of these visit prices; you pay for medicines at your pharmacy.

Which insurance companies does Great Care list for psychiatry?

The insurer names published for psychiatry billing are Aetna, Cigna / Evernorth, Humana, UnitedHealthcare / Optum, BlueCross BlueShield, Medicare, Wellpoint (non-TennCare plans; verify with intake), and your benefits are checked against that list plan by plan. TennCare is not accepted.

Each of those companies offers many plans, and the network for one plan can differ from another plan with the same logo on the card. Intake confirms whether your specific plan covers a psychiatric video visit with Great Care’s provider before your appointment.

Is there an online psychiatrist in Tennessee that takes insurance?

Yes. Psychiatric video visits at Great Care can be checked against the insurers it lists, and the clinician you see is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner working with a psychiatrist medical director. The current psychiatry list is:

• Aetna
• Cigna / Evernorth
• Humana
• UnitedHealthcare / Optum
• BlueCross BlueShield
• Medicare
• Wellpoint (non-TennCare plans; verify with intake)

When you call, read intake the company and plan name on the front of your card and any separate behavioral health phone number on the back. TennCare is not accepted.

Does Great Care take Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna or Humana?

All five companies appear on the psychiatry list, but the answer for you depends on the exact plan printed on your card. Employer, individual and Medicare products from one company can each use a different network.

Two listed names pair a second company: Cigna / Evernorth and UnitedHealthcare / Optum. If your card shows either name in a pair, mention both to intake. Before the first visit, have these ready:

• Member ID and group number
• The plan holder’s name and date of birth
• Whether the plan came through an employer, the Marketplace or Medicare

If your plan cannot be confirmed, you can still choose the published self-pay rates or ask your insurer about out-of-network benefits, explained below.

Does Medicare cover telehealth psychiatry?

Medicare is on Great Care’s psychiatry list, and Medicare’s coverage pages name psychiatric evaluation and medication management among outpatient mental health services, with nurse practitioners among the covered provider types. Intake still confirms your coverage before the first visit.

On cost, Medicare.gov says that after you meet the Part B deductible you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for visits to your health care provider, and that for most telehealth services you pay the same as you would in person. It also states that through December 31, 2027, Medicare covers telehealth services you get from anywhere in the U.S.

If you have a supplemental policy, or get Medicare benefits through a private plan, bring every card to the intake call so each one can be checked.

How much does a psychiatrist cost without insurance?

Without insurance, Great Care charges $250 for the first psychiatric visit and $150 for each follow-up. Because the price is fixed per visit, the main thing that changes your total is how often your provider recommends seeing you.

People looking for a cash-pay or self-pay psychiatrist online usually want three answers before booking:

• The visit price: published above, for the first visit and for follow-ups
• Anything else billed: ask intake before the appointment, and request a Good Faith Estimate so it is in writing
• Medicine: priced by the pharmacy, so ask the pharmacist for the cash price before filling a new prescription, and tell your provider if it is out of reach

Is telehealth psychiatry cheaper than seeing someone in person?

A video visit is not automatically priced lower, but it removes costs around the visit, such as travel, parking and extra time away from work. Great Care provides psychiatry only by video, so its published prices are video prices.

With insurance, the comparison depends on the plan. Medicare.gov says most Medicare telehealth services cost the same as in-person ones. Private plans set their own telehealth rules, so check your Summary of Benefits and Coverage or ask member services whether video mental health visits carry the same copay as office visits.

What does in-network mean for a psychiatry visit?

In-network means the provider has a contract with your insurer or plan to provide services. A plan’s network is the set of facilities, providers and suppliers it has contracted with.

What happens if your plan treats the visit as out of network?

You will usually pay more. A provider without a contract with your plan is a non-preferred provider, and the plan pays only up to its allowed amount, the most it will pay for a covered service.

If the charge is higher than the allowed amount, you may be billed the difference. Some plans pay nothing for out-of-network care. Before booking, ask your insurer whether your plan has out-of-network mental health benefits and how much it would reimburse, then compare that with the self-pay rates.

How do deductibles, copays and coinsurance affect a psychiatry visit?

A deductible is what you pay for covered services before the plan starts paying; after that, you usually pay a copay or coinsurance. Which one applies to a psychiatric video visit depends on your plan.

• Deductible: with a $2,000 deductible, for example, you pay the first $2,000 of covered services yourself.
• Copay: a fixed amount for a covered visit.
• Coinsurance: a percentage of the cost of a covered visit.
• Out-of-pocket maximum: the most you pay for covered in-network services in a plan year; after that the plan pays 100% of covered benefits.

Some plans pay for certain services before the deductible is met, so ask about yours.

How do you read your plan’s mental health benefits?

Start with your Summary of Benefits and Coverage, a standard document that lays out costs and coverage. You get one when you enroll or renew, and you can request it from your insurer.

Look for lines such as outpatient mental or behavioral health, specialist visits and telehealth. Note whether the plan lists a separate mental health company on your card; some plans route those benefits through a different network. If the document is unclear, call the member services number on the back of the card.

What should you ask your insurer before a psychiatry visit?

1. Is Great Care’s psychiatric provider in network for my plan?
2. Are telehealth psychiatry visits covered the same way as office visits?
3. What will I pay for a first evaluation and for a follow-up?
4. How much of my deductible is left this year?
5. Do I need a referral or prior authorization?
6. Are there limits on the number of visits?
7. What is the reference number for this call?

Write the answers down with the date and the representative’s name.

Does telehealth psychiatry need prior authorization?

Some plans require it, many do not, and the rule comes from your plan. Prior authorization is approval a health plan may require before you get a service or fill a prescription for it to be covered.

Ask about both parts: the visit and any medicine prescribed afterward. A medicine can need its own authorization even when visits do not. If authorization is needed, ask who submits it and how long it usually takes.

What is a superbill, and can you use one?

A superbill is an itemized statement of a visit that some patients send to their insurer to request out-of-network reimbursement. Whether you can use one depends on whether Great Care can provide it and whether your plan reimburses out-of-network psychiatry.

Ask intake whether an itemized statement is available after a self-pay visit, and ask your insurer what it must show and how to submit it. Any reimbursement is paid to you by the plan, under its allowed amount.

What is a Good Faith Estimate, and when do you get one?

A Good Faith Estimate is a written list of expected charges that providers usually must give patients who are not using insurance. You get one if you ask, or when you schedule care at least 3 business days ahead.

Keep it: you cannot dispute a bill through the federal process without one.

What can you do if you have TennCare?

TennCare is not accepted. If TennCare is your only coverage, you have two routes: pay Great Care’s self-pay rates, or find a psychiatric provider that participates with your TennCare health plan.

Your TennCare plan’s member services line and provider directory can list participating psychiatric providers. If you choose self-pay here, ask for a Good Faith Estimate so the expected charges are in writing.

Are prescriptions included in the visit price?

No. The self-pay rates of $250 and $150 are visit prices; any medicine is paid for at the pharmacy, under your plan’s prescription coverage if you have it.

Drug coverage has its own rules, including covered drug lists and, for some medicines, prior authorization. Before filling a new prescription, ask the pharmacy what you will pay. If cost is a barrier, tell your provider; it is a reasonable part of the medication decision.

When might self-pay make sense even with insurance?

Self-pay can make sense when your deductible is high and you would pay the full allowed amount anyway, or when your plan does not cover Great Care’s provider. Compare the two before deciding.

Ask your insurer what you would owe in network for a psychiatric visit with your remaining deductible, then compare that with $250 and $150. Self-pay visits may not count toward your deductible. Tell intake which option you choose before the visit so billing is set up correctly.

How can you avoid a surprise bill for psychiatry?

• Confirm network status for the provider and the service, not just the insurer’s name.
• Ask whether telehealth psychiatry has its own benefit rules.
• Keep call reference numbers and any written estimate.
• If self-pay, request a Good Faith Estimate.
• Ask whether follow-ups are billed differently from the first visit.
• Check each statement from your insurer against what you were told, and call quickly if something looks wrong.

Ask about the full financial picture

Have the plan name, member information and the service you want ready for the private intake process. Ask whether the specific provider is in network and whether a deductible, copay or coinsurance applies. If you expect follow-up visits, ask how those visits are billed and whether any separate testing or services would add a cost. Keep any estimate and your insurer’s reference number. A listed insurer is a starting point for checking benefits, not proof that every product or visit is covered.