[laxer12]

This is just a random thought but does anyone else have a hard time with the idea that your T makes less money per session than other people who provide an hour of service (such as a massage therapist)?

I use insurance to pay my T but I think she ends up making about $85/session from my copay and what insurance pays for. For some reason it really bothers me that a typical 60 min massage costs around $80 as well. I know massage therapists have to be licensed and have to spend time prepping the room and cleaning it as well as documenting sessions but I'd like to think that my T spends the same amount of time (if not more), prepping and documenting our sessions. I'm not trying to devalue a massage therapist's work and skills but I feel like my T has a lot more work cut out for her (especially in the long-run).

I know some T's charge a lot more than $80 but that seems to be a pretty average rate (at least where I live). I guess I just have a hard time justifying paying for certain services based upon what my T makes (and maybe I just care about it too much)...

[LonesomeTonight]

Wow, that's cheap! Granted, I live in a fairly expensive area, but my T charges $130 (for new clients it's $150, but she kept me at original rate) and marriage counselor charges $175! We pay that up front, then insurance reimburses us for 60%, so they get the full fee. (I think the difference in their rates is that T is an LCSW, while MC is a PhD, plus he co-owns the practice.)

[stopdog]

No. Such a thing does not bother me at all. The therapist chose to work in this type of field and can make changes to make more money an hour if they choose. I fully believe therapists can take care of themselves.

No. They set their rates and as long as their rate is with reasonable cost range, they know what their reimbursement will be from insurance companies they choose to contract with. If they don't like the insurance reimbursement rates, they can choose not to work directly with insurance companies and charge higher rates.

[lucozader]

I pay my T an absolute pittance to be honest, considering what a nightmare I am (and less than half what yours gets, btw).

I've never compared it to what people like massage therapists get, though. I suppose they probably spend a lot more on materials and stuff? Massage oils, scented candles or whatever, washing towels... I dunno. I've never actually been for a massage. It'd probably do me a lot of good.

[catnip123]

I don't worry about it one bit. Mt T won't take insurance and charges $200 per hour.

[atisketatasket]

No, because when I was private pay, I paid up to $190/hour. Which is more than I pay for a 120-minute massage.

And I'm not going to worry about my $15 copay. It is more than minimum wage.

When I was seeing XT I didn't care at all about that and I paid the same amount as OP. Like someone else mentioned-if she was not happy with her reimbursement from my affordable care act insurance that I have, then she could've chose not to contract with them. The T had a choice. I never felt guilt surrounding money with a T.

[ScarletPimpernel]

My T charges me $100 sliding scale ($150 normally). She doesn't accept any insurances. I don't feel bad for paying her the sliding scale. I think $100 an hour is a lot of money. When we transfer to once a month, she asked me if I'd be willing to pay the full $150 so she can give another person the sliding scale. She knows we have more money now, so we don't mind. We were planning on paying her the full rate if my fiance ever got a job.

Therapist set their own pay. Whatever they charge is what they're okay with. No reason to feel guilty or anything about it.

[BudFox]

I'd say most massage therapists work a lot harder than therapists and they are providing a tangible service. Therapists sit there, nod, speak a little, make faces. Most are overpaid, some wildly so. The going rate here is $150. One wanted $220 per session. Another $200. Delusions of grandeur, etc. One Harvard educcated Phd charged me only $90.

[Salmon77]

Mine charges $180/hour but takes insurance, so I just have the copay. I have no idea what a massage costs.

In any case, it's just a question of what the market will bear. Lawyers usually make more money per hour than teachers do, that doesn't mean teachers aren't hardworking and important.

[kecanoe]

T2 and T3 charge $200. T1 charges $130. Thank God for insurance.

There is a new massage therapist at my chiro's, she was offering a 3 massages for $120 deal, and I went for it. I don't know what she usually charges, but I will be going back. I've only had a few professional massages, but she is the best. I think my health insurance will pay for 12 massages a year. Yippee!

[BrazenApogee]

This thread makes me contemplate becoming a massage therapist

With insurance and my co-pay, my T gets more for the 50 minutes than I get for 2 days. I have no guilt.

[waterlogged]

My T charges $110. Insurance covers 70% and I pay 30%. For the first 3 years I saw her, she only charged $100. I pay about $105 for a massage.

I live in an expensive city, one of my T charged $180 and the other one $200. I actually think that's overpaid for what they do and would not have any problems if it was cheaper, even very cheap.

Last time I checked my therapist's full rate is $125. I only paid my copay which was $25. From what I ever saw from a few statements I received, he was fully reimbursed the other $100 from insurance.

[nottrustin]

I do. Between my copay and what my insurance pays T gets $61 for the hour. My psych NP makes almost double that for 1/2 hour.

[stopdog]

Plus massage therapisting is hard on one's body - they get carpel tunnel, pulled muscles etc. If they get their hands or arms etc injured - they are out of a job.
Therapists don't have as much(I don't think they have any) wear and tear on their body.

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by stopdog

Therapists don't have as much(I don't think they have any) wear and tear on their body.

You're forgetting their sitting bones. Plus clots might form in their leg veins from sitting so long. Or maybe their chair is insufficiently ergonomic and they develop low back issues.

[laxer12]

Okay, so I guess my T is paid a lot less by insurance than what others make. My two previous T's made even less than my current one since I paid out of pocket and they had me on a sliding scale. It's a good point that they set their own rates so maybe I shouldn't feel bad...

However, I would personally never pay more than $100 for a therapy session...maybe because I've been able to find T's who will work with me for less but I think $150+ a session is ridiculous.

[laxer12]

On the other hand, I think the emotional energy my T's put in with me is a lot so maybe I just personally value that more than the physical energy of a massage therapist.

[growlycat]

Long term t cost out of pocket is $300 a session. Which is why I only talk to him for fifteen minutes about 2-3 times a year and one full session in person.
He used to be mostly covered by insurance. He stopped taking insurance.

Ca t "sparky" was about 150 out of pocket but was covered by insurance with a forty dollar copay.

Current t Kashi is a bargain at $65 a session. He has a set rate with my insurance which is why it is so low. Out of pocket he would be closer to ninety. I've hit my deductible for the year so my part out of pocket is about fourteen dollars. Cheaper than a movie.

***ps. A massage in my city is about $125 full body

[feileacan]

I pay to my T 30€ for 45 minutes which is at the bottom of his sliding scale. No insurance in this country. My mil is a massage therapist and she takes 25€ for full body massage, which for her means 2 hours with all the preparation and stuff. I don't think my T charges too much, I think my mil charges too little for her services.

[Mike_J]

My therapist charges $150/50 minute session but takes insurance, I pay a $30 copay, and the insurance company gets a $20 discount so in the end she makes $130/visit for dealing with me. All in all considering that she has to put up with me she is woefully underpaid.

[nottrustin]

My T bills my insurance $140...she writes off $79. My massage therapist charges $60 an hour because she does not have overhead costs. My message therapist also performs house messages..