2022 Changes to Session Length and Pricing

On December 1, 2022, two changes will go into effect that will impact members.

First, therapy sessions (currently 50 minutes) will be extended to 55 minutes in order to provide more flexibility in meeting the needs of our families, therapists, and billing. There will not be changes to the session duration for coaching (30 minutes) or medication management.

Second, the pricing for our coaching and care services will also increase as of December 1, 2022. This applies to both current members receiving our services as well as new members. The price change will apply differently for those paying strictly out of pocket and those receiving services through their health plan or employer.

For those paying directly for our services out-of-pocket, the pricing will change as follows:

• Coaching: up to $70 from $60

• Therapy: up to $225 from $180

• Psychiatry / Medication Management: No change

For those receiving our services through their health plan or employer, prices will vary. If you have questions regarding these changes, please reach out to our member support team or contact your health plan administrator.

We understand this is a significant change, especially for those working paying out of pocket for therapy. We are continuing to explore different ways to provide care and make Brightline's services more accessible to everyone. Your Brightline team is available to help you through this transition.

Please reach out to our member support team at 888-224-7332 or the link to chat below.

Our Connect resources and coach chat with your dedicated coach will continue to be available free to charge for you any time.

It’s core to Brightline that we provide high-quality, personalized care. In order to better support all our families, we are making adjustments to our rates and therapy session duration. 

Changes to therapy duration

Based on the needs of many of our families and ongoing feedback, we are extending therapy session duration to 55 minutes (rather than 50 minutes) to better serve families’ needs. 

When evaluating our care services, we noticed that many therapy sessions often run longer than the allotted 50 minutes. Families are busy, it can take a few minutes to get settled into a session, and sometimes families just need more time with their provider to work through difficult challenges or moments. We also hope this time increase will allow us to engage more with kids, teens, and their parents and caregivers in a meaningful way. We hope this change will make sessions feel a little less rushed, and a little bit more spacious, for you and your family.

There will be no changes to the session duration for coaching or medication management at this time.

Changes to pricing

Our pricing change may feel dramatic for members and we want to explain the complexity around it as best we can. To boil it down: 

• Every health plan we contract with has standard rates they charge for services like therapy and coaching.

• Since Brightline provides a comprehensive system of care that includes not just therapy or coaching, but also ongoing support via Connect, we are contractually obligated to charge rates higher than standard health plan rates. 

• Based on new contracts with health plans, we are required to raise our rates in response. 

We are continuing to expand our coverage through other health plans and explore different ways to provide care and make Brightline's services more accessible to everyone. We hope to be able to continue working with your family now, and if not, in the future as we grow.

Your Brightline care team is available to help you through this transition if needed. Please reach out at any time to our member support team at 888-224-7332 or the link to chat below. 

 These changes will go into effect on December 1, 2022.

These changes will apply to members receiving or seeking coaching or therapy services through Brightline. 

Therapy: All members receiving or seeking therapy services will see therapy sessions extend to 55 minutes. Pricing changes will also apply. 

Coaching: Members receiving or seeking coaching services will only see pricing changes. There are no changes to session duration at this time. 

Pricing changes will vary depending on your type of coverage. Not all members covered by their health plan or employer will be subject to a change in pricing. For more information, please reach out to our member support staff via chat or to your health plan administrator. 

We understand this is a significant change, especially for those working with therapists. We are continuing to explore different ways to provide care and make Brightline's services more accessible to everyone and will provide ongoing updates on alternative options that are available. Please reach out to your care team to explore how we can support you in the near-term. 

Yes, there will be no change to the therapist you see based on this change. Providing continuity of care is important to us as is relationship building between you and your care team. We will make sure through this change that, even if schedules need to be adjusted (see below), we are able to help maintain your relationship with your family’s therapist. 

All appointments scheduled to occur on or after December 1, 2022 will be 55 minutes in duration, however, we do not expect this to impact the start time of any scheduled appointment based on the expansion of session duration.

There may be a few situations where your therapist will have to slightly shift appointment times to accommodate this change within their schedule, and in those cases your therapist with the support of our member support team will work with you to find a time that works for your family. However, we expect this to happen on a very limited basis. 

You can expect to see these changes reflected on your next invoice after December 1, 2022. This varies by population.

For those that pay for services entirely out-of-pocket, your next invoice will be generated within a few business days of your appointment, generally within one (1) business day. 

For those who receive services paid for by their employer or health plan, should a member cost share be applied based on your health plan benefits, your invoice reflecting your balance will be generated within 45 days from your date of service.

If you have any further questions, please reach out to a Member Support specialist below or via phone at 888-224-7332.

Give us a call at 888-224-7332 to speak with our Member Support team. You can also reach out to a Member Support specialist below within the application.