Does Rula Accept My Insurance? A Complete Guide for Patients

Finding out whether your insurance is accepted and how much your sessions will cost shouldn’t be stressful. At Rula, we make it easy for you to check your coverage and get transparent cost estimates.

Before diving into all the details about insurance, plan types, carve-outs, and more, here are two quick ways to understand your benefits right away:

🌐 Use our cost estimator tool

Rula patients typically pay $15 per session, although your individual cost may vary based on your appointment type, insurance benefits, and deductible.

👉 Using our cost estimator tool is the fastest way to find out if Rula is in-network with your insurance and get an estimate of your session cost.

By sharing your insurance information through this tool, you’ll instantly see:

Whether your plan is in-network or out-of-network
Your estimated out-of-pocket cost for therapy and psychiatry
A clear cost breakdown for different session types

This tool saves time and gives you confidence before scheduling your appointment.

Important notes:

If your insurance plan is not listed as an option on the Insurance provider dropdown list, select I Don’t See Mine - the last option on the list. Rula will verify your coverage details during the benefits verification process.
If you've already signed up with Rula and provided your insurance information, you can view your cost estimate in the Rula patient portal under the Insurance tab. You can also update your insurance information on file.

Rula verifies your benefits when you provide insurance information

As a benefit of using Rula, we’ll contact your insurance carrier and provide you with an estimate of your per-session cost before your first appointment!

Rula also conducts an automatic verification of benefits during the patient registration process when you sign up. Here’s how it works:

You provide your insurance information during sign-up.
Our system checks your coverage with your insurance provider in real time.
We confirm if your plan is in-network and estimate your costs within seconds.
You receive an email with your estimated responsibility for services. Your cost estimate details will also be available in your Rula patient portal under the Insurance tab.

Note: Rula's verification of benefits estimates are not guaranteed. Actual costs may vary depending on your insurance coverage. We also recommend confirming benefits with your insurer directly.

Note: Existing patients can view this help center article for guidance on updating your insurance on file and triggering a new verification of benefits.

Common insurance questions

Can I use my insurance to pay for Rula services?

Yes! Providers on the Rula platform are in-network with most major insurance providers, covering 120M+ individuals.

Ready to get started? Click here to browse available therapists who accept your insurance.

Which insurance providers does Rula work with?

Rula is in-network with many major insurance providers, including but not limited to:

Aetna, All Savers, Allegiance, Allied, Anthem, Ascension-SmartHealth, Benefit and Risk Management, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Carelon Behavioral Health, Centivo, Cigna, Coastal TPA, Curative, Decent Health Plan, EBMS, First Health Network, GEHA, GPA, Health Alliance, Health Net of California, HealthEZ, Highmark, Kaiser Permanente (various regions including Kaiser NCAL), Luminare Health, Medica, Medical Mutual, Meritain, Nippon Life Insurance, Optum, Oscar, Oxford, Pinnacle Claims Management, Premera, Regence, Select Health, Sierra Health and Life, Surest, TRICARE West, UMR, UnitedHealthcare (including Student Resources), UPMC Health Plan, WebTPA, Western Growers, Western Health Advantage, and more!

Rula currently accepts Medicare Advantage, Medicare "fee-for-service", and Managed Medicaid coverage for select states and insurers.

Our insurance network is continually expanding. Use Rula’s cost estimator to understand your specific coverage.

Insurance complexities patients may run into

While our tools make things simple, insurance itself can be complex. Here’s what you need to know.

Mental Health Carve-Outs

Some insurance plans separate (or "carve out") mental health benefits, meaning these benefits are handled by another company, meaning mental health benefits may be administered separately from other medical services. For example, many Blue Shield of California plans carve out to Magellan, and while Rula is in-network with Blue Shield of California, we are not in-network with Magellan. Specific carve-outs include:

Magellan – Common with Blue Shield of California. Rula is out-of-network.
Halcyon – Common with Blue Shield of California. Rula is out-of-network.
Healthworks – Common with Blue Shield of California. Rula is out-of-network.

Telehealth vs. In-Person Benefits

Coverage may differ for telehealth versus in-person care. Some plans fully cover telehealth, while others have restrictions or require specific vendors. It is best to confirm with your insurance provider which services may be covered under your plan.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are different from regular health insurance because they are typically offered by employers to provide short-term support for mental health and other personal challenges. Unlike traditional insurance, which may cover a wide range of ongoing treatment options, EAPs often focus on a limited number of sessions or services to help employees quickly access care during difficult times. Rula is in network with a few programs, and we continue to work toward partnering with more!

If you are interested in receiving care from Rula but do not have EAP benefits, we encourage you to explore alternative payment options, such as health insurance or out-of-pocket payments.

You can read more about using your EAP benefits in this help center article.

Medicare and Medicaid Plans

Rula currently accepts Medicare Advantage, Medicare "fee-for-service", and Managed Medicaid coverage for select states and insurers.

Understanding the differences between Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-sponsored insurance can make it much easier to navigate your coverage options. While Medicare and Medicaid are government programs with unique eligibility requirements and benefits, employer-sponsored insurance is typically provided through your job and may offer different networks and cost structures. Knowing how these plans work—and how they differ—can help you make informed decisions and avoid unexpected coverage issues.

Using Secondary or Dual Insurance Coverage

Many patients have secondary insurance to help cover additional costs. While Rula supports the use of secondary insurance, our online portal does not currently accept secondary insurance information as a self-service option available to patients. However, we have alternative ways to ensure your coverage is processed correctly. To submit secondary coverage information for Rula to process internally, do the following:

Have your plan, subscriber details, and card photos ready, and chat with us using the widget below for help verifying your benefits.
Note that you wish to add a secondary insurance on file (Note: you will likely need to upload a picture of the front and back of your secondary insurance card).

Dual Eligible Coverage

Dual Eligible plans cover patients with both Medicare and Medicaid. Most dual-eligible plans are out-of-network. If you have dual coverage, have your plan, subscriber details, and card photos ready, and chat with us using the widget below for help verifying your benefits.

Coordination of Benefits (COB)

Patients using multiple insurance coverages are subject to coordination of benefits (COB) rules. COB rules determine which plan pays first when you have multiple coverages.

Key rules include:

The plan where you are the employee/primary policyholder is primary.
For children, the parent with the earlier birthday in the year has the primary plan.
Employer plans with 20+ employees are primary over Medicare.
Active employee plans are primary over COBRA coverage.
If unclear, the plan covering you the longest is primary.

Note: Keeping accurate records and following up with insurers helps ensure correct claim processing and avoids unexpected costs.

Referrals and Authorizations

Some insurance plans require additional steps before you can access certain services. Understanding referrals and prior authorizations can help you avoid delays in getting the care you need.

Referral: A recommendation or order from your primary care physician for you to see a specialist or receive certain medical services from another provider, often required for HMO/POS plans.
Authorization/Prior Authorization: Approval from your insurer before you receive certain services, treatments, or prescriptions.

While many insurance providers or mental health services do not require these, some plans still do, including some Kaiser Permanente health plans.

Kaiser Permanente Referral Process

Some Kaiser Permanente plans require a referral to receive Rula services:

Kaiser Hawaii requires a referral for both therapy and psychiatry.
Kaiser Southern California (SoCal) requires a referral for psychiatry only. No referral is required for therapy.
Kaiser Northern California (NCAL) requires a referral for therapy. Psychiatry services are not currently offered.
All other Kaiser plans – No referral is required for therapy or psychiatry.

Contact your Kaiser Primary Care Provider or Kaiser’s authorization department to confirm your coverage and avoid claim issues.

For Kaiser Hawaii and Kaiser Southern California (SoCal) patients looking for psychiatry services, Kaiser requires their clients to be referred back to them for psychiatry services by their Rula therapist*.

The following must take place to complete your referral:

Meet with a therapist – Start with an initial therapy session.
Request a psychiatry referral – You can ask for a referral during your session. You are not obligated to have continuous sessions with your therapist.
Referral submission – Your therapist will send the referral through Rula’s internal process. You'll be asked to confirm with our Care Coordination team that you wish to proceed with the referral.
Kaiser contacts you – Once processed, Kaiser will reach out to schedule your psychiatry appointment.

*Kaiser San Bernardino County (a subset of Kaiser Southern California) patients may be referred to Rula for Psychiatry.

Out-of-Network Billing and Options

Rula does not bill out-of-network insurance directly, but you still have options:

Self-pay: If your insurance is out-of-network, you can choose to pay out-of-pocket. This means you pay for the services at the time of your appointment.
Superbill: Request a detailed invoice called a superbill that outlines the services you received and the amount you paid to submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement.

Paying without insurance (self-pay / cash pay rates)

If you choose not to use insurance, cash pay rates are as follows:

Therapy: $150 (individual) / $165 (family/couples) per 60-minute session
Psychiatry: $225 per initial 60-minute session / $175 per 30-minute follow-up session

Can I use my HSA or FSA?

Yes! You can use your HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) to cover out-of-pocket expenses. You’ll have the option to enter your card as the payment method on file, or you may submit a receipt to your HSA/FSA provider for reimbursement.

Why Might You Get an Out-of-Network Notification?

What Do In-Network and Out-of-Network Mean?

In-Network (INN): Healthcare providers or facilities that have a contract with your insurance company to provide services at an agreed-upon rate, generally resulting in lower costs for you. In short, this means that your insurance will cover services.

Out-of-Network (OON): There are many possibilities why your insurance might come up as out-of-network. Common reasons include:

Plan type restrictions (PPO, HMO, EPO differences)
State or region-specific coverage
Mental health carve-outs (e.g., Magellan, Halcyon)
Recent contract changes
Specific provider credentialing (While Rula may be contracted with your insurance company and plan, individual providers may not be credentialed with certain insurance companies or plans. If a provider is not credentialed to accept specific insurance company or plan, they will be considered out-of-network and cannot bill your insurance for services rendered. In these cases, you can select a new provider credentialed with your insurance or continue with your current provider, but pay out-of-pocket).
Inactive insurance coverage
Out-of-date insurance coverage

If this happens, ask for help - contact your insurer or Rula support.

PAR vs. Non-PAR Providers

Knowing whether your provider is preferred or non-preferred can make a big difference in what you pay for care. Here’s how PAR and Non-PAR providers compare.

PAR (Preferred Provider) – Contracted with your insurance, lower costs.
Non-PAR (Non-Preferred Provider) – Not contracted, may result in higher costs or full upfront payment.

Single Case Agreements (SCA)

SCAs are arrangements between an individual patient and their insurance company to provide coverage for services that are not typically covered under the patient's insurance plan.

Rula does not support Single Case Agreements (SCAs) due to administrative complexity.

Sliding Scale Rates and Payment Plans

Sliding Scale or Discounted Rates are not offered at this time due to administrative complexity.
Payment Plans are available for patients with outstanding balances.

Need Help?

If you have any questions about your coverage, billing, or options:

Contact your insurance provider to verify specific coverage information
Update your insurance information in the Rula patient portal
Start with the Help widget (bottom of the page) to get answers and contact Support.
- You’ll first interact with our AI assistant. If you still need help, you can live chat or submit a request, depending on your issue.
- Live chat hours: Monday–Friday 6:00am–10:00pm PT; Saturday–Sunday 9:00am–6:00pm PT.

Find a therapist in the Provider Directory

The Provider Directory helps you explore therapists by location and preferences like insurance, language, and specialty so you can find care that fits your needs.

Updated April 28, 2026 21:34