Payer rate page
What Optum / UHC pays therapists
Therapists reported 45 Optum / UHC rates between September 2013 and August 2026. The median for a 90837 was $116 across 32 reports, with a range of $88 to $190. Reports came through Headway, Alma, and Grow Therapy, and from clinicians holding their own Optum / UHC contract, which allows the same code to be compared across routes.
Reported 90837: median $116, range $88–$190 (32 reports · 45 across all CPTs · updated 2026-08-23)
Optum / UHC 90837 by license
| License | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| LPC/LMHC | $116 | $88–$190 | 14 |
| LCSW | $118 | $105–$159 | 9 |
| PhD/PsyD | $116 | single report | 1 |
| LMFT | $116 | single report | 1 |
Optum / UHC 90837 by route
Reported Optum / UHC medians for a 90837 through Alma and under direct contracts sit within a few dollars of each other. The two samples come from different states, so the comparison is indicative rather than exact.
| Route | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct contract | $116 | $89–$190 | 17 |
| Headway | $120 | $112–$121 | 7 |
| Alma | $117 | $103–$127 | 7 |
| Grow Therapy | $88 | single report | 1 |
Optum / UHC 90837 by state
| State | Median | Range | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $121 | $88–$121 | 4 |
| California | $116 | $116–$120 | 4 |
| Washington | $140 | $121–$159 | 2 |
| Maryland | $117 | $116–$118 | 2 |
| Arizona | $110 | $110–$110 | 2 |
| Oregon | $190 | single report | 1 |
| Connecticut | $132 | single report | 1 |
| New Jersey | $121 | single report | 1 |
| Texas | $120 | single report | 1 |
| Colorado | $120 | single report | 1 |
| North Carolina | $117 | single report | 1 |
| Minnesota | $117 | single report | 1 |
| Georgia | $112 | single report | 1 |
| Tennessee | $110 | single report | 1 |
| Idaho | $110 | single report | 1 |
| Nebraska | $108 | single report | 1 |
| Mississippi | $105 | single report | 1 |
| Florida | $103 | single report | 1 |
| Iowa | $89 | single report | 1 |
Other codes: 90791 (intake) median $127 (6 reports); 90834 (45 min) median $80 (5 reports); 90846 (family, no client) median $76 (1 report).
Optum / UHC by state, in detail
All 45 Optum / UHC reports
| Route | St | License | CPT | Rate | Effective | Note / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headway | MD | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $117.73 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Alma | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90791 (intake) | $121.24 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Alma | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90834 (45 min) | $87 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LCSW | 90791 (intake) | $137.10 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $115.82 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LCSW | 90834 (45 min) | $78.73 | August 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | WI | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $120.96 | July 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | LA | LPC/LMHC | 90791 (intake) | $131.15 | July 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | OR | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $190 | March 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90791 (intake) | $113 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90834 (45 min) | $75 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $112 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Headway | GA | LPC/LMHC | 90846 (family, no client) | $75.99 | January 2026 | submitted |
| Direct contract | WA | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $159 | December 2025 | United/Optum, group practice, western WA; group Cigna $117 source |
| Alma | MN | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $116.80 | December 2025 | submitted |
| Direct contract | — | LCSW | — | $121.33 | November 2025 | United; solo practice licensed in DC/MD/VA source |
| Alma | NC | — | 90837 (60 min) | $116.80 | September 2025 | masters level; 90834 $101.30, 90791 $119.72 source |
| Alma | NE | — | 90837 (60 min) | $107.80 | September 2025 | LIMHP; 90834 $92.30 source |
| Direct contract | MD | PhD/PsyD | 90837 (60 min) | $115.82 | September 2025 | United Behavioral Health/Optum, Baltimore area source |
| Headway | WA | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $120.55 | August 2025 | United source |
| Direct contract | IA | — | 90837 (60 min) | $89.25 | August 2025 | UHC, masters level source |
| Alma | FL | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $103 | August 2025 | submitted |
| Alma | RI | PhD/PsyD | 90834 (45 min) | $108.35 | July 2025 | submitted |
| Alma | RI | PhD/PsyD | 90791 (intake) | $143.06 | July 2025 | submitted |
| Direct contract | ID | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $110 | June 2025 | No longer accept them/in network with them. submitted |
| Grow Therapy | WI | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $88.22 | June 2025 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CT | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $132 | April 2025 | submitted |
| Alma | TX | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $120 | January 2025 | submitted |
| Alma | — | — | 90837 (60 min) | $120 | November 2024 | Cut from $130 in the November 2024 Optum rate reduction ($7 across Optum/UHC/UMR/Surest). source |
| Headway | — | — | 90837 (60 min) | $112 | November 2024 | Reported alongside the Alma figure; Optum reportedly pays Headway ~$130 for the session. source |
| Direct contract | — | — | 90837 (60 min) | $110.30 | October 2024 | Solo-contract rate cited for comparison against platform rates. Same commenter reported Optum pays Alma ~$151 for the identical session. source |
| Alma | — | — | 90837 (60 min) | $126.80 | October 2024 | pre-cut rate; reduced to $116.80 November 2024; 90791 $126.80 cut to $119.72 source |
| Direct contract | AZ | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $110.30 | August 2024 | submitted |
| Headway | CO | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $120 | August 2024 | submitted |
| Direct contract | TN | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $110.30 | July 2024 | submitted |
| Direct contract | MS | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $104.79 | June 2024 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $115.82 | August 2023 | submitted |
| Headway | NJ | LCSW | 90791 (intake) | $123 | August 2023 | submitted |
| Headway | NJ | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $120.55 | August 2023 | submitted |
| Headway | NJ | LCSW | 90834 (45 min) | $80 | August 2023 | submitted |
| Headway | CA | LCSW | 90837 (60 min) | $120 | August 2023 | submitted |
| Direct contract | AZ | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $110.30 | December 2022 | submitted |
| Direct contract | CA | LMFT | 90837 (60 min) | $115.82 | June 2022 | submitted |
| Direct contract | WI | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $120.98 | May 2021 | submitted |
| Direct contract | WI | LPC/LMHC | 90837 (60 min) | $120.96 | September 2013 | submitted |
Limitations
These figures have three limitations. First, every rate is self-reported and unverified. Second, the sample is self-selected: 26% of all reports come from Georgia, where the launch discussion reached furthest. Third, license is missing on 53 of 301 rows. Nevertheless, they are the only public per-payer figures available to a therapist weighing an offer, and every added report narrows the ranges above.