The short answer
Is Medi-Cal or private pay better for therapy?
Neither wins for everyone: Medi-Cal typically means no copay for covered therapy, and private pay keeps therapy off an insurance claim. Medi-Cal is the most common insurance among Eye Cue clients, and we have accepted it since November 2017. Choose by asking two questions: what will I owe, and do I want a claim filed with an insurer?
Medi-Cal
Fits when cost is the main barrier and your plan is one we accept.
- Cost to you
- Typically no copay for covered therapy
- Insurance claim
- Yes, with a diagnosis code
- Who sets the pace
- Your clinician, based on medical necessity
Private pay
Fits when you want no insurance claim, or when your plan is not one we work with.
- Cost to you
- The session fee, with a Good Faith Estimate first
- Insurance claim
- None filed
- Who sets the pace
- You and your clinician
Our Medi-Cal therapy page covers how Medi-Cal care works here in more depth.
The full comparison
Medi-Cal therapy vs private pay side by side
Here is how the two options compare at Eye Cue Mental Health. Call us with your card and we answer the coverage questions before your first session.
| What you are comparing | Billed to your planMedi-Cal | Paid by youPrivate pay |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to you | Typically no copay for covered therapy. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session. | You pay the session fee. Self-pay rates depend on the clinician you see. Call us for a quote, and ask for a written Good Faith Estimate before you schedule. |
| Diagnosis on a claim | Insurance billing, Medi-Cal included, generally requires a mental-health diagnosis code, and it becomes part of your health record. | No insurance claim is filed. Your clinician still keeps confidential clinical notes. |
| Session cadence | Weekly, based on clinical need. Treatment length follows medical necessity, with no session quota. | Weekly, based on clinical need. You and your clinician set the length together. |
| Therapy approaches | Psychodynamic therapy, CBT, and solution-focused therapy. EMDR where your plan covers it. | The same approaches, including EMDR with a clinician on our team trained in EMDR. |
| Plan and county limits | Your plan must be one we accept. Some Medi-Cal plans are limited to one county. | No plan network or county limit. Telehealth is open anywhere in California. |
| In person or telehealth | Both, with the same clinician. | Both, with the same clinician. |
| If your coverage changes | The billing changes, and we work to keep you with the same clinician. | The billing changes, and we work to keep you with the same clinician. |
Have Cigna, Aetna, Covered California, or another plan we accept? That is insurance billing too, so it works like the Medi-Cal column for the claim and diagnosis rows. Copays and deductibles depend on your plan.
Coverage
Medi-Cal plans we accept for therapy
You may not need to pay out of pocket at all. Medi-Cal is the most common insurance our clients use, so many people searching this comparison already have coverage we accept. We accept Straight Medi-Cal (Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service, also called Regular Medi-Cal) for members without an assigned managed-care plan. Medi-Cal managed-care plans include Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield Promise and Molina across multiple counties; L.A. Care, Carelon and Health Net in Los Angeles County; and CalOptima in Orange County.
Eye Cue Mental Health also accepts Medicare, Covered California, Cigna, Aetna, and many others. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session. See the full insurance list and county details.
Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service, also called Regular Medi-Cal, for members without an assigned managed-care plan
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield Promise
- Molina
- L.A. Care
- Carelon
- Health Net
- CalOptima
Either way you pay
What stays the same with Medi-Cal or private pay
Same clinician, same relationship
Clients using Medi-Cal and clients paying out of pocket see the same team of clinicians, led by Saqib Iqbal, LCSW. You are not routed to a different team because of how you pay.
Same weekly cadence
"Treatment length is based on your medical necessity. No one is pulling the strings. You are in charge of your treatment." Saqib Iqbal, LCSW, describes how sessions are set at Eye Cue. Some callers come to us because only biweekly sessions were available at the last Medi-Cal provider they tried.
Same private-practice setting
Our Cerritos office at 17215 Studebaker Rd. is a calm private-practice setting rather than a community mental health center. The same office serves Medi-Cal and self-pay clients.
Same evening and weekend hours
Eye Cue is open 7 days a week, 8 AM to 10 PM. Our hours are the same for Medi-Cal and self-pay clients.
Same evidence-based approaches
Our team uses psychodynamic therapy, CBT, and solution-focused therapy under either option. A clinician on our team trained in EMDR may be available to Medi-Cal clients whose plan covers it.
Same multilingual team
Our team speaks six languages beyond English: Spanish, Farsi, Tagalog, Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi, spoken across our team. Confirm the specific language at intake. Language coverage does not depend on how you pay.
A fair look
The honest advantages of private pay
Private pay has real advantages, and they are worth weighing before you decide.
No insurance claim
Insurance billing, whether Medi-Cal, Cigna, or Aetna, generally requires a mental-health diagnosis code on the claim, and that diagnosis becomes part of your health record. Private pay does not involve an insurance claim, which some people value for privacy and confidentiality.
A choice some professions weigh
People in safety-sensitive professions, or anyone who prefers to keep mental-health care out of their insurance history, sometimes choose private pay for that reason. The choice is yours.
No plan rules on your care
No plan network, county limit, or medical-necessity review shapes your care. You and your clinician decide the plan together.
Know the cost first
If you pay out of pocket, you have the right to a written Good Faith Estimate of expected charges before you schedule.
See the California Department of Health Care Services page on Medi-Cal specialty mental health services for an overview of Medi-Cal's behavioral health benefit scope.
If your coverage changes
Switching between Medi-Cal and private pay mid-treatment
Coverage changes mid-treatment happen to Medi-Cal and private-pay clients alike. Eye Cue accepts Medi-Cal, many commercial plans, and clients paying out of pocket, so a coverage change usually means a billing change, and we work to keep you with the same clinician. Call us as soon as your plan shifts.
Your coverage shifts
Medi-Cal starts or stops, or you move to an employer or Covered California plan.
Call us before your next session
Call 562-860-2891 as soon as your plan changes.
We verify the new coverage
We check the new plan before your next session, or share current self-pay rates and a Good Faith Estimate.
Billing changes, care continues
We work to keep you with the same clinician, in person or by video.
EMDR and cost
EMDR through Medi-Cal
If you are searching this comparison because of EMDR, that is a common reason people weigh Medi-Cal and self-pay. EMDR-trained clinicians often leave insurance panels and charge out-of-pocket cash rates.
Eye Cue has a clinician on our team trained in EMDR who sees Medi-Cal clients. That combination is uncommon in the LA and Orange County market. Whether your specific plan covers EMDR depends on your plan and medical necessity. Call us to confirm.
Care under either option
Therapy services under Medi-Cal or private pay
Individual therapy is our primary service line, available under Medi-Cal and private pay with the same clinician, approaches, and weekly cadence. Couples counseling and family therapy are available under the plans we accept and for clients paying out of pocket. Whether your plan covers a couples or family session depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before you start.
Medi-Cal clients access the same trauma-focused approaches as private-pay clients, along with anxiety therapy and depression therapy.
In their words
"This therapist has saved my life. Makes you feel great when you walk out of his office. Saqui will also give you tools to continue your treatment on your own time. Highly recommend him for people all ages."
Javier M.Google Review, 5 stars, Cerritos, CA
Individual results vary; this reflects one client's experience and is not a promise of outcome.
Eye Cue Mental Health at a glance: In practice since November 2017 · Open 7 days a week, 8 AM to 10 PM · In-person in Cerritos and telehealth across California
Telehealth across California
Online therapy with Medi-Cal or private pay anywhere in California
If you live anywhere in California, you can work with an Eye Cue clinician by video from home, work, or wherever you feel settled, whether you use Medi-Cal, another plan, or pay out of pocket. You keep the same clinician for as long as treatment runs. When it helps, you can switch to in-person sessions at our Cerritos office without changing therapists.
Statewide telehealth depends on your plan. Some Medi-Cal plans are limited to one county: L.A. Care, Carelon, and Health Net Medi-Cal to Los Angeles County, and CalOptima to Orange County. We verify your plan before your first session. See the full insurance list and county details. Private pay has no plan county limit.
In person and online
In person at our Cerritos office
We see clients in person at our Cerritos office and by telehealth across California. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session.
Anywhere else in California by telehealth. See all locations. Eye Cue Mental Health · 17215 Studebaker Rd., Suite 110, Cerritos, CA 90703 · 562-860-2891 · Open 7 days, 8 AM to 10 PM
Good questions
Frequently asked questions about Medi-Cal and private pay
Still unsure? Call 562-860-2891 and we will talk it through, no commitment.
Neither is universally better. Medi-Cal typically means no copay for covered therapy, and private pay means no insurance claim. At Eye Cue, the clinicians, the office, and the therapy approaches are the same under either option. Choose based on what you have access to and what you prefer.
For covered therapy, Medi-Cal members typically have no copay. Whether your plan covers this depends on your plan and medical necessity, and we verify before your first session. Call 562-860-2891 with your Medi-Cal card and we check your benefits before you book.
Self-pay rates depend on the clinician you see, so call us for a quote. We do not publish a session fee on this page. If you plan to pay out of pocket, you can request a written Good Faith Estimate before you schedule.
Insurance billing, Medi-Cal included, generally requires a mental-health diagnosis code on the claim, and it becomes part of your health record. Private pay does not involve an insurance claim. This matters to some people in safety-sensitive professions and to anyone who prefers to keep therapy out of their insurance history.
Usually, yes. Eye Cue accepts Medi-Cal, many other plans, and clients who pay out of pocket, so a coverage change does not have to mean a new therapist. Call us when your plan changes, we verify the new coverage before your next session, and we work to keep you with the same clinician.
We accept Straight Medi-Cal (Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service, also called Regular Medi-Cal) for members without an assigned managed-care plan. Medi-Cal managed-care plans include Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield Promise and Molina across multiple counties; L.A. Care, Carelon and Health Net in Los Angeles County; and CalOptima in Orange County. Call us with your plan name and we confirm before your first session.
Call us at 562-860-2891 with your Medi-Cal card or insurance card. We verify your benefits with your plan before your first session. If you are self-pay, we share current rates on that same call. We also offer telehealth therapy across California for clients who are not near our Cerritos office.
Get started
Start therapy with Medi-Cal or private pay in Cerritos
Eye Cue Mental Health has offered outpatient psychotherapy in Cerritos, CA since November 2017. Call 562-860-2891 with your insurance card or Medi-Cal card and we will tell you what coverage looks like before you book. In person at 17215 Studebaker Rd. or by video anywhere in California.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) any time. Eye Cue Mental Health is an outpatient psychotherapy practice and does not prescribe medication.
- 562-860-2891
- 17215 Studebaker Rd., Suite #110, Cerritos, CA 90703
- Open 7 days a week, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM