For a growing number of North Carolinians, mental health care is turning into a luxury line item. Climbing premiums and eye-watering deductibles are driving people out of therapy and other treatment, local clinicians say, as 2026 insurance bills land and out-of-pocket costs spike. Clinics feel the strain In Durham, licensed clinical social worker Bobby Newell says she is already seeing clients vanish from the schedule, not because they are doing better, but because they can no longer afford to stay. It is a creative workaround, but not a cure for the underlying cost problem. “Insurance has gotten incredibly expensive and unaffordable for a lot of folks,” she said. A follow-up survey from KFF found that about half of returning Marketplace enrollees say their costs are “a lot higher” this year. State response and immediate options Gov. Newell told Spectrum News she worries that untreated anxiety, depression and other issues will not just disappear; they could spill into schools, workplaces and the broader community as people go without care. In the meantime, sliding-scale programs, group sessions and low-cost intern clinics remain a crucial stopgap. For patients who can grab one of those limited slots, it can be the difference between staying in therapy and walking away, not because they want to, but because their budget leaves them little choice. Their insurance became too expensive, or their deductibles shot into the thousands. Newell’s practice, Mindful Collaboration, has tried to plug the gaps. The clinic has opened more sliding-scale spots, expanded group therapy options and carved out intern-led appointments that cost just $5 to $10, Newell told Spectrum News. Enrollment fell steeply According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 761,457 North Carolinians selected Marketplace plans for 2026. Comparing federal enrollment snapshots, that figure is down from an estimated 975,110 the year before, a drop of roughly 213,000 people, according to reporting by Becker’s.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://hoodline.com/2026/04/sky-high-insurance-bills-push-north-carolinians-off-the-therapy-couch/