Headway vs Alma vs Grow vs Your Own Insurance Contracts
Headway, Alma and Grow put you in network through their own agreements with insurance companies and handle claims for you. In exchange, the platform holds the contract, and your in-network status stays with it if you leave. Your own contracts take 60 to 90 days per insurer to set up and need billing handled, but they belong to you. Which pays more depends on your insurers and your state, so compare real rates.
By Nasar Haq, Founder and CEO, Medtransic. Last reviewed 2026-10-03.
The side-by-side
Every platform statement below comes from that platform's own help center, checked on 2026-10-03. Platform fees and rates are not listed because they change; check each platform's current terms.
| Headway | Alma | Grow | Your own contracts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who holds the insurance contract | Headway, through "its own payer agreements" | Alma: in network "under Alma's tax ID" | Grow: you are added to Grow's group contracts | You, under your own NPI and tax ID |
| If you leave | Headway credentialing is separate from any contracts you hold yourself | In-network status is under Alma's tax ID | "Your enrollment status won't transfer outside of Grow" | Your contracts stay with you |
| Who handles claims | The platform | The platform | The platform | You, or a billing service you choose |
| Who sets your rate | Set through the platform's agreements | Set through the platform's agreements | Set through the platform's agreements | Agreed between you and each insurer |
| Time before you can bill | Check the platform's current estimate | Check the platform's current estimate | Check the platform's current estimate | Usually 60 to 90 days per insurer |
When a platform is the better choice
- You are just starting out and want insured clients quickly
- You want no billing or credentialing work at all
- The platform's rates for your insurers are as good as, or better than, direct contracts in your state
When your own contracts make more sense
Rates can change on either path. Behavioral Health Business reported that Aetna lowered rates for therapists contracted through Alma, effective July 15, 2026. Insurers can also change fee schedules on direct contracts, so read each contract's terms.
- Your caseload is full and platform rates have dropped
- You want to grow into a group practice with your own clinicians
- You want your insurance relationships to belong to your practice
- Direct rates in your state beat the platform after billing costs
Questions to ask before you choose
- Whose contract am I billing under, mine or the platform's?
- If I leave, what happens to my in-network status and my clients?
- Who decides my rate, and how will I hear about rate changes?
- Can I see clients from the same insurer both on the platform and on my own?
- Who handles denials, appeals and unpaid claims, and how will I see their status?
- What notice do I have to give, and are there any client terms in the agreement?
If Medicare is part of your plan
Since January 1, 2024, licensed marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors can enroll in Medicare and bill on their own. Enrollment is done online in PECOS. Medicare pays them 75% of what it pays a clinical psychologist.
Licensed clinical psychologists can enroll too, and Medicare pays them the full fee schedule rate when they accept assignment. If Medicare clients matter to your practice, ask each platform whether it supports them before you decide.
How to decide with real numbers
Compare what the platform pays you per session with what each insurer offers you directly, then subtract billing, credentialing and software costs. Our guide to leaving a platform walks through the math with a worked example and a 90-day plan.
Common questions
Is Headway, Alma or Grow better for therapists?
It depends on your insurers, your state and how much admin you want to handle. All three put you in network through their own agreements, so compare the rates each offers for your main insurers, and compare them with direct contracts.
Do I own my insurance contracts on Headway, Alma or Grow?
No. Headway credentials through its own payer agreements, Alma credentials members under Alma's tax ID, and Grow adds you to its group contracts. Your own contracts are the only ones you take with you.
Can I be on a platform and have my own contracts?
Headway says credentialing you hold independently is separate from its own process. Check each platform's terms on seeing clients from the same insurer both ways.
How much does it cost to get my own contracts?
An NPI is free, and the CAQH Provider Data Portal is free for clinicians. Medtransic charges $150 per application, per provider, and billing is 4-8% of collections if you want us to handle it.
Sources
- Headway Help Center, "Credentialing with Headway", checked 2026-10-03
- Alma Help Center, "Get Credentialed with Alma's Insurance Program", checked 2026-10-03
- Grow Therapy Provider Help Center, "Enrollment and Credentialing FAQ" (updated August 30, 2026), checked 2026-10-03
- Behavioral Health Business, "Aetna Cuts Rates with Alma-Contracted Therapists" (May 21, 2026), checked 2026-10-03
- CMS, Marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors (last modified July 20, 2026), checked 2026-10-03
- CMS, Medicare & Mental Health Coverage (MLN1986542, March 2026), checked 2026-10-03
- DataSpring (formerly CAQH), For Clinicians, checked 2026-10-03
- CMS, NPI fact sheet (December 2024), checked 2026-10-03
Related
Start your own credentialing before you leave
We file and follow up on every insurer application at $150 per application, per provider, and show you each one's status in your client portal. Call (888) 777-0860 or book a free revenue audit.