Headway for Therapists: Is It Worth It In 2024?

Headway Review – Key Takeaways

• Headway is a directory and insurance billing platform that helps practitioners get credentialed with insurance payors in their state and handles all of their insurance and direct pay billing.
• Headway operates a directory to help market your practice to a wider audience, focusing on insurance payors you are in-network with.
• Headway is free to use and does not charge fees to join its network.

What Is Headway?

Headway is a service that helps therapists and mental health practitioners market themselves to new clients, obtain credentialing with insurance providers, and manage insurance billing. Headway’s directory allows clients to view therapists that are in-network with their insurance. There is no cost for joining Headway as a therapist.

Insurance Credentialing

One of the primary advantages to using Headway is the managed insurance credentialing. Headway handles all the legwork when it comes to getting credentialed for in-network billing, and does so more effectively than individual providers usually can on their own.

Headway, with its connections in the insurance industry, is able to expedite the credentialing process to 45 days or less, although it can take up to four months. Additionally, Headway is typically able to negotiate much higher reimbursement rates than an individual provider can, although these are not disclosed to the public.

Insurance payors that Headway can credential with at the time of this writing include:

• Aetna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (in select states)
• Cigna
• Oscar
• Oxford
• United Healthcare
• Optum affiliates

Fully Managed Client Billing

The other primary service Headway offers is fully managed insurance billing. Practitioners join the network, then Headway handles credentialing with major insurance groups, negotiates reimbursement rates, and handles all of the individual client insurance claims. This takes away the administrative burden from the practitioner and allows them to focus on providing high-quality client care.

Aside from insurance billing, Headway can also manage direct or private pay client billing on your behalf. Clients are able to pay for services via Headway in a variety of ways including debit cards, credit cards, and FSA or HSA funds.

It is worth noting that Headway only works for clients that are in-network with one of the payors that Headway works with – out-of-network billing through Headway is not possible.

According to Headway, its billing system reads insurance benefits in real time and bills clients at the time of service. Headway then processes the details with the insurance payor and pays you your agreed rate via direct deposit – your payment will come through Headway, not the insurance payor.¹

Gain New Referrals with Headway’s Built-In Directory

Headway’s provider directory markets your services to new clients who are in-network with the insurance payors you are credentialed with. After you upload your availability, clients will be able to schedule appointments with you directly through the Headway app, minimizing friction in the scheduling process.

What States is Headway Available In?

Headway is currently available in all US states, according to one of Headway’s representatives.

How Does Headway for Therapists Work?

Headway for Therapists works by getting you credentialed with insurance payors and listing you on its therapist directory once everything is set up. The length of the onboarding process can vary between 1 to 4 months for a given payor due to a number of factors.

Once you’re set up and ready to start seeing clients, you can either see them in person or virtually. For virtual sessions, you’ll need an external, HIPAA-compliant video platform. For tracking client progress, you’ll be required to submit treatment plans and progress notes through Headway so the insurance payor can track the client’s progress. However, Headway states that its system is not designed for tracking psychotherapy notes and an external system may be needed for detailed clinical documentation.

During your session, you’ll confirm any payment that the client owes and once the session is complete, Headway will automatically bill the client for any amount due and begin the backend processes that go along with insurance billing. Headway handles everything else from here and you can focus on managing clients’ progress.

Services that Headway for Therapists offers include:

• Expedited provider credentialing with insurance payors
• Full-service client billing and automatic claims reimbursement
• Marketing via a directory listing with built-in scheduling

Services that Headway for Therapists does not cover include:

• Telehealth platform
• In-depth clinical documentation
• Out-of-network billing

You’ll likely need a good EHR system for filling in any gaps that Headway has such as telehealth. The best mental health EHRs will offer even more functionality for tracking the well-being of your clients and your practice.

How Much Does Headway Cost for Therapists to Join?

There is no cost for joining Headway as a therapist. Headway offers the service for free to practitioners upfront and collects a prenegotiated portion of insurance payouts from the insurance companies. If you choose to work with Headway, you will sign on as an independent (1099) contractor who handles all aspects of client care, while Headway handles client billing and marketing.

How Much Does Headway Pay Therapists?

The rate Headway pays therapists is highly variable and will depend on a number of factors that will be discussed during your onboarding with Headway. You will know the exact reimbursement rates prior to signing the practitioner contract with Headway. Due to its agreements with payors, Headway is typically able to negotiate much better rates than you’d be able to on your own.

Headway Reimbursement Rates

A discussion on reimbursements with this type of platform is intrinsically difficult as reimbursement rates will vary tremendously depending on a number of variables. For instance, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia billing Cigna may have an entirely different rate than a Psychologist out of California billing United Healthcare.

Additionally, negotiations between companies like Headway and its insurance partners will constantly be shifting and updating and it’s impossible to say what  reimbursement rates will be in the long haul. However, it is worth noting that you will likely get far better reimbursement rates through Headway than if you’d negotiated with an insurance payor on your own.

Headway states that as long as certain guidelines are followed in terms of client documentation, there are no instances in which Headway would need to recoup a reimbursement.¹ Headway’s provider responsibility guidelines are well-documented as to what the expectations are, so ensuring a smooth experience is easy.

Why Would I Want to Work With Headway?

Working with Headway is a unique experience that allows the autonomy of a private practice while offering a degree of support that helps you get your practice off the ground.

Here are a few reasons why you might want to work with Headway:

• Become credentialed with insurers without having to manage the process, and significantly faster than you could on your own, while also receiving enhanced reimbursement rates.
• Ensure consistent revenue with reliable insurance reimbursement
• Maintain the autonomy of a private practice with less administrative stress
• Find a reliable source of client referrals through a dedicated insurance-based system

Headway Review – Our Final Verdict

Headway is a strong directory and insurance billing platform. It can make the job of running a private practice considerably easier and it doesn’t charge a monthly fee. However, it lacks the variety of features offered by some of its direct competitors and it doesn’t allow for billing across state lines.

You should consider signing up for Headway if you:

• Are looking to expand your client caseload
• Are looking for a way to offer in-network services at a higher reimbursement rate than negotiating with payors independently

You should consider looking for an alternative to Headway if you:

• Want to provide services in one of the states Headway is unavailable in
• Want to partner with a platform that offers more EHR and practice management features

Who Is Headway Right For?

Headway is a great solution for clinicians who want to begin offering in-network services and for practices that need a platform that can also handle client payments directly.

Those Looking to Offer In-Network Services

Beginning to offer in-network services is a big step but working with insurance payors can be a daunting task. If you’d like to start working with insurance groups but don’t want to have to manage the process yourself, Headway is a great way to get started.

Practices That Need a Platform That Can Handle Direct Pay Clients

Some directory and insurance billing platforms aren’t able to process payments from clients who aren’t using insurance. If you still plan to work with clients who don’t have insurance or are out-of-network with you, then Headway makes it easy to import them and handle their billing in the same system.

Who May Want an Alternative to Headway?

Headway is a great choice, but if you’re looking for a platform that offers more built-in EHR features, or you’d like to be able to bill clients in multiple states, you may be better served elsewhere.

Those Looking for More Built-In EHR Features

While Headway can handle insurance, it doesn’t have much in the way of EHR features like telehealth. If you’re looking to minimize the amount of software you have to use to manage your practice, you may want to consider a platform that is a bit more all-inclusive. Alma offers similar services with more features.

To learn more, visit our comprehensive review of Alma. SonderMind is another great option; details can be found in our full review of SonderMind for therapists.

Those Who Would Like To Bill in Multiple States

With Headway, you are restricted to billing only within the state you reside. Practitioners that are licensed in multiple states would be better suited with another option such as Alma, which allows you to bill clients in multiple states at once.

Headway Vs. Alma

Headway and Alma are very similar services, however, there are a few key differences. Alma offers more practice management solutions including a telehealth platform and documentation features. However, Headway allows you to bill non-insurance clients and import existing clients into the system for easy billing. Both platforms handle all of your insurance billing needs with a built-in directory.

Alma costs $125 monthly or $1,140 annually, whereas Headway does not cost anything.

Headway Vs. Grow Therapy

Headway and Grow Therapy are similar in that they both offer insurance credentialing and billing services with built-in directories. However, Grow Therapy offers more EHR and additional features than Headway does. Headway is available in all US states whereas Grow Therapy still has a few states in which it is not available.

Neither Headway nor Grow Therapy charges any fees for therapists to join and use their platforms.

How Do I Get Started with Headway?

Getting started with Headway is pretty simple. Navigate to the Headway sign-up page, enter a few details, and you can get the process started. While getting credentialed with insurance payors can take a while, Headway will keep you informed of the status of things throughout the process.

The steps for getting started with Headway are:

1. Sign up for Headway. Navigate to Headway’s sign-up page and enter a few details. (5 minutes)
2. Complete a detailed intake form. You will fill out a detailed intake form including your professional and educational background, experience, and other details. (20 minutes)
3. Wait for insurance credentialing. Headway will work to get you credentialed with their insurance partners, negotiate your rates, and get things finalized. After this, you will sign your contract with Headway. (3 weeks – 4 months)
4. Begin seeing clients. After everything is set up, clients will be able to schedule with you on Headway.

History of Headway

According to the company’s LinkedIn profile and website, Headway was founded in 2017 after the founder struggled to find affordable therapy. The company is currently headquartered in New York City and has grown relatively large with nearly 1,000 employees listed on LinkedIn. Headway states that it powered over 300,000 therapy appointments in 2022 and has 22,000 practitioners in its network.²

FAQs for Headway

Is Headway Free for practitioners?

Yes, Headway is free to use for therapists.

Do You Have to be Licensed to Use Headway?

Yes, you must be fully, and independently licensed by the state you practice in to use Headway.

Can You Bill Out-Of-Network with Headway?

No. Headway does not work with out-of-network clients.

How Does Headway Make Money?

Since Headway does not charge a monthly fee for practitioners to use the platform, it makes its money via its negotiations with the various insurance platforms it works with.

Does Headway Have a Telehealth Platform?

No, Headway does not offer a telehealth platform. All practitioners are responsible for using a separate HIPAA-compliant video platform and providing clients with appointment details.