Payer rate page
What Carelon pays therapists
Therapists reported 13 Carelon rates between June 2016 and August 2026. The median for a 90837 was $101 across 8 reports, with a range of $67 to $210. Reports came through Headway and Alma, and from clinicians holding their own Carelon contract, which allows the same code to be compared across routes.
Reported 90837: median $101, range $67–$210, middle half $91–$123, about 81% of the 2026 national Medicare reference for a master's-level clinician (8 reports · 13 across all CPTs · updated 2026-09-15)
Carelon 90837 by license
| License | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMFT | $120 | $95–$210 | 3 |
| LCSW | $93 | $85–$133 | 3 |
| LPC/LMHC | $87 | $67–$107 | 2 |
Carelon 90837 by route
| Route | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct contract | $108 | $67–$210 | 6 |
| Alma | $107 | single report | 1 |
| Headway | $93 | single report | 1 |
Carelon 90837 by state
| State | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $126 | $95–$210 | 4 |
| New York | $76 | $67–$85 | 2 |
| Texas | $107 | single report | 1 |
| Georgia | $93 | single report | 1 |
Other codes: 90791 (intake) median $124 (1 report); 90834 (45 min) median $81 (2 reports); 90847 (family, with client) median $63 (1 report); 90846 (family, no client) median $60 (1 report).
Carelon by state, in detail
All 13 Carelon reports
| Route | St | License | CPT | Rate | Effective | Note / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90791 (intake) | $124.30 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Alma | TX | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $107 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | NY | LPC/LMHC | 90834 (45 min) | $67 | April 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LMFT | 90837 (60 min) | $210 | March 2026 | Took significant negotiation and advocacy submitted |
| Headway | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90846 (family, no client) | $60.22 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90847 (family, with client) | $63.09 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | GA | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $93 | August 2025 | source |
| Direct contract | CA | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $133 | January 2025 | (Medi-cal) submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LMFT | 90837 (60 min) | $120 | October 2024 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LMFT | 90834 (45 min) | $95 | October 2024 | submitted |
| Direct contract | NY | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $85.26 | August 2020 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LMFT | 90837 (60 min) | $95 | June 2016 | submitted |
| Direct contract | NY | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $67 | — | Unknown start date submitted |
Limitations
These figures have three limitations. First, every rate is self-reported and unverified. Second, the sample is self-selected: 14% of all reports come from California. Third, license is missing on 66 of 789 rows. These per-payer reports describe this sample; additional reports can change the median and widen the range. How this data is collected and checked.