July 2024

Meru Health vs. traditional therapy: A cost comparison of depression and anxiety treatment in the U.S.

As part of our commitment to research and transparency, we publish peer-reviewed scientific studies in academic journals, white papers, and blog posts regarding the clinical or financial/cost savings outcomes of our treatments and interventions. In this article, we explore the cost of therapy between traditional depression and anxiety treatment and Meru Health.

Mental health care is expensive—even with health insurance. In fact, traditional outpatient psychotherapy can cost an insured individual up to $1,507 per year (Peterson KFF analysis). For many, the cost of quality care is too high; thus, they forgo treatment altogether. Affordability continues to be a barrier to access, contributing to the ongoing mental health crisis.

Meru Health vs. traditional therapy cost

Our data analysis team recently compared the average cost of Meru Health’s treatment program for privately insured enrollees in the United States with the recent market data from privately insured enrollees in the U.S. who received a more traditional psychotherapy intervention for depression or anxiety disorders.

We found that Meru Health’s treatment, at roughly $1,000 per year, is significantly (34%) cheaper than traditional outpatient psychotherapy while still delivering significantly better clinical outcomes, as seen in this analysis.

cost of therapy comparison

Lower cost of therapy, greater access: The significance of Meru Health’s affordable mental health solution

By offering a treatment program that is 34% cheaper than traditional outpatient psychotherapy, Meru Health addresses a critical barrier to mental health care: affordability.

This reduction in cost without compromising the quality of care can lead to increased access to quality mental health services for those who might otherwise forgo treatment due to financial constraints. 

With better clinical outcomes and lower costs, Meru Health is pivotal in mitigating the ongoing mental health crisis and transforming the mental health care landscape.

Still have questions? Ask away.