How much does pelvic floor therapy cost?
This is such a great question, and I find that more folks want the answer to that before they begin care. And especially when we consider our typical healthcare system, where cost is so arbitrary. I feel like most people think that if they go to the doctor, it’s immediately going to be one million dollars.
So, let’s talk about it, because transparency is important to me. I have an official rates page on my website, but I’ll break it down here.
At Durham Pelvic, pelvic floor physical therapy costs $250 for your initial evaluation and $200 for each follow-up visit, with every session running a full 55 minutes one-on-one with me (I’m a pelvic health therapist, which is a specialization I took advanced training for after graduating as a doctor of physical therapy).
Most patients are seen for an average of 10 visits over the course of 3 to 6 months, which puts a typical course of care somewhere around $2,050 total.
Durham Pelvic is a fee-for-service practice and out-of-network with insurance, so payment is due at the time of your visit, and a superbill is provided afterward for you to submit toward potential reimbursement.
Cost is a fair question, and an important one. If you've been searching for a pelvic floor therapist, you've probably noticed that not many practices make their pricing easy to find. That's frustrating. You deserve to know what care will cost before you ever book, and without having to call.
So let's talk through it honestly: what pelvic floor therapy costs here, how many sessions you might need, why I'm out-of-network, and what you actually get for the investment.
What pelvic floor therapy costs at Durham Pelvic
My rates are simple and transparent:
Initial evaluation (55 minutes): $250
Follow-up visit (55 minutes): $200
Every session is a full 55 minutes of one-on-one time with me. You will not be passed off to a different therapist each visit, and you will not be handed to an assistant or a tech. It's me, every time.
Payment is due at the time of your visit. There are no surprise bills waiting for you at the end of care, and no mystery charges that show up three months later. You'll know your financial responsibility before we begin.
How many sessions will I need?
This is the question behind the question, because the per-visit rate only tells you part of the story. What you really want to know is the total.
The honest answer is that it depends on you, your symptoms, and your goals. That said, most of my patients see me for an average of 10 visits, spaced over 3 to 6 months. I typically see patients once a week for the first 6 to 8 weeks, then we space visits out as you start feeling better and more confident managing things on your own.
So a common course of care looks like one initial evaluation plus around nine follow-ups, which lands close to $2,050 over several months. Your plan may be shorter or longer depending on what's going on, and we'll talk about that openly as we go. I'm not interested in keeping you in therapy longer than you need. My goal is to get you feeling better and back to your life.
This is different than typical physical therapy, as you probably know. Most patients receive a referral for three times a week for 12 weeks. That is not how I operate inside my clinic. Everyone is an individual, and a standard protocol of three times a week for 12 weeks just does not work.
Why I'm out-of-network with insurance
This is usually the part where potential patients have questions, and I’m so happy to explain it.
Durham Pelvic is a fee-for-service practice, which means I don't bill insurance directly. I made that choice intentionally, and it's actually one of the things that lets me give you better care.
I wrote a whole post on this if you want the full reasoning, but here's the short version. Learn more about why I am out-of-network with insurance companies →
Here's the thing: Most people don't realize about insurance and pelvic PT…
Even when a clinic takes your plan, coverage is far from guaranteed. Insurance companies frequently decide pelvic floor therapy isn't "medically necessary," and when that happens, they simply don't cover it. The frustrating part is that you often don't find out until the care is already done.
The usual sequence looks like this.
You find a provider who takes your insurance.
You assume your treatment is covered, so you go to your visits without thinking much about cost.
Then ten weeks and a dozen appointments later, a bill shows up in the mail for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, because somewhere along the way your insurer decided not to pay.
Now you're stuck. You already received the care. You already trusted that it was covered. And there's no taking those visits back. You're left negotiating a bill you never agreed to, for treatment you thought was handled.
That's not a rare horror story. It's the game we play with insurance-based pelvic PT, and it happens more than anyone would like to admit. "In-network" can feel cheaper at the front desk, but it can end up costing you far more once claims are denied. A low copay isn't a real price if the bill behind it is a question mark.
I didn't want to keep playing that game with my patients. With transparent, fee-for-service pricing, the number you see is the number you pay. $250 for your evaluation, $200 per follow-up, settled at the time of your visit. No claim to be denied. No envelope to dread three months from now.
And I have to also tell you the mental health side, which affects my ability to provide quality care for you:
When I worked in an insurance-based clinic, I was also seeing 11 patients a day, often splitting my attention between multiple patients at once. As much as I tried, I don't think my afternoon patients got my best. And insurance companies, who know nothing about you personally, got to dictate which treatments they would and wouldn't cover, which meant they were effectively dictating your care.
Going out-of-network lets me step out of that system. I decide how many patients I see in a day. I'm not burning my evenings fighting with insurance companies. I get to treat you based on what you actually need, not based on what a claims adjuster will approve. And you never get a surprise bill, because you know your cost before we begin.
What's included in every session
When you book at Durham Pelvic, your rate covers:
A full 55 minutes of one-on-one treatment with me, every single visit. No repeating your story, starting from scratch, etc.
A blend of manual therapy and exercise tailored specifically to you, not a generic protocol.
A personalized home program with clear guidelines for exactly what to do between sessions, so the work we do in the clinic keeps working when you leave.
Connection to me between visits, so you never need to feel alone, and so you can ask questions if they come up between the times when you see me in person.
The personalized program is really important; the progress you make at home between visits is a big part of why patients here tend to need fewer sessions overall, in addition to the super-focused care, since you’re not passed between different providers and needing to play catch-up each visit.
How insurance and superbills work
Being out-of-network does not mean you can't use your insurance benefits at all. It just means the process looks a little different.
After your visit, I'll provide you with a superbill, which is an itemized receipt with the codes your insurance needs. You submit that superbill directly to your insurance through the process outlined in your online member portal.
Depending on your plan and your out-of-network benefits, you may be reimbursed for part of what you paid.
A few things to know: I don't speak to your insurance company on your behalf, and I don't receive payments from them. Reimbursement is between you and your insurer, and the amount varies plan to plan.
It's worth calling your insurance to ask about your out-of-network outpatient physical therapy benefits before you start, so you know what to expect.
Is out-of-network pelvic floor therapy worth it?
I understand that paying out of pocket can feel like a big decision, especially when an in-network clinic might cost you less per visit (at least, that’s what you’re told on the front end). Here's why I believe the value holds up.
You get a full hour, every time. Individualized attention means every session moves you closer to your goals instead of treading water in a crowded gym.
You usually need fewer visits. Because each session is longer and built around you, I don't need to see you three times a week for twelve weeks. Fewer, more focused visits often means a lower total cost than it first appears, plus a lot less of your time spent driving to appointments.
Your care is yours. Your treatment plan is a collaboration between you and me, not a list of what your insurance carrier will approve. That freedom genuinely changes outcomes.
Your provider isn't running on empty. When I'm not stretched across a packed schedule and stacks of insurance paperwork, I have the capacity to show up fully for you. You feel the difference in your care.
The good news: better-tailored treatment and fewer wasted visits tend to add up to better results, and that's ultimately what you're paying for.
How to get started with pelvic therapy in Durham
You shouldn't have to guess what care will cost. Now you know: $250 for your evaluation, $200 per follow-up, around 10 visits for most people, all of it one-on-one and fully transparent. If you have more questions about this, I’m so happy to answer them. Just submit the contact form and I’ll get back to you.
If you're local to the Durham, NC area and you're ready to stop searching and start feeling better and value cost transparency, I'd love to work with you.
💜 Dr. Rachel J
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