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Online therapy has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic, making mental health services more accessible than ever. There are even mental health apps giving you access to resources, therapeutic programs, and live video therapy sessions directly from your phone. Unfortunately, many of the popular online therapy platforms don’t accept insurance, driving users who could benefit from therapy away due to high costs.
However, there are a handful of online therapy platforms that accept insurance or connect you with licensed therapists in your area who do. Many licensed therapists provide telehealth services but bill through their private practice rather than working on a platform like BetterHelp directly. Here are the best online therapy services that take insurance.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or having suicidal thoughts, text or call the Suicide and Crisis Help Line at 988. Free help is available 24/7.
Talkspace is one of the few online therapy platforms offering couples counseling that also accepts insurance. It is a comprehensive platform with over 5,000 licensed therapists trained in multiple modalities, techniques, and specialties to help couples navigate their relationships.
Talkspace automatically matches you with a therapist after an introduction survey, which can be hit or miss, according to online reviewers. Most reviews—positive and negative—focus on the provider rather than the service. If you’re unhappy with your provider, you can request specific therapists by emailing their names to Talkspace customer service.
Talkspace can also verify your insurance coverage for you, but you’re required to make an account and fill out the introduction survey before verifying. I completed the requirements to check my coverage in about 10 minutes, but it may be easier to call your insurance provider directly.
Brightside Health is one of the most comprehensive online psychiatry services, offering users multiple plans for psychiatry services, including getting a prescription, medication management, and a Psychiatry + Therapy plan for comprehensive mental health care. Brightside is FSA- and HSA-eligible, which means you can pay any copays or out-of-pocket costs from those accounts.
A primary complaint among online reviewers is Brightside doesn’t offer services for ADHD—no evaluations, medication prescriptions, or management. However, Brightside is in-network with multiple major insurance providers, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Anthem, and Medicare (in some states), which makes psychiatric care more accessible.
Zocdoc is a database of mental health care providers rather than an online therapy platform. Zocdoc is free to use, and you can filter the long list of providers by type of therapy, location, communication preferences, and more. Zocdoc lists mental health providers with a variety of specialties, including psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed therapists, and more.
Our favorite feature of Zocdoc is that you can filter providers by your insurance plan. You’ll still need to check with your insurance company about the services covered under your plan, but Zocdoc can give you a list of in-network providers.
Psychology Today is a free mental health care provider database with dozens of filters to help you find the right therapist for you. In our experience, Psychology Today has the largest database of in-network providers and licensed therapists. Providers on Psychology Today may offer telehealth services, in-person therapy, or psychiatry services like medication management. Be sure to filter by your insurance company to reflect providers who are in your network.
Headway is another database of mental health providers where users can connect with in-person or virtual therapists, psychiatrists, and other mental health care professionals. However, Headway is also organizational software that facilitates communication between providers and clients. Its software automates billing and insurance verification, allows clients to securely message providers, and allows providers to automatically schedule follow-up appointments.
Amwell has a much smaller network of therapists than other services, but it accepts 40 insurance companies and Medicare. Amwell requires therapists to have a master's or doctorate degree license with two or more years of clinical experience, which is a higher bar than other online therapy services that employ new therapists.
MDLive is another database of almost 2,500 mental health care professionals. Like Headway, MDLive doubles as software that therapists and clients use to connect, schedule, and conduct video sessions. MDLive’s search filters are more specific than the other databases on our list and could help you find a great fit for your therapy needs.
Insurance coverage for online therapy depends on your specific plan. Some plans offer coverage with a copay, others offer full coverage after you meet your deductible, and others offer no coverage at all. The best way to verify coverage is to call your insurance provider directly.
Medicaid and Medicare coverage varies by state. However, many therapy services like Brightside Health and Talkspace have insurance coordinators who can help you navigate your state’s specific coverage.
Some Blue Cross Blue Shield plans cover telehealth services like online therapy. However, the best place to check coverage is through Blue Cross Blue Shield’s online portal or by calling a representative.
BetterHelp cites the “legal complexity of online therapy” as the reason it does not accept insurance. However, BetterHelp is a fairly unique platform in that it offers mental health services via a fully virtual model. Insurance laws and regulations have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, but BetterHelp’s model still does not fit in with the insurance model, according to the company.
Online therapy is a relatively new industry, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced providers to see clients virtually. Most available data shows no outcome differences between in-person and virtual therapy sessions.
Online therapy is a useful tool to make mental health care more accessible. However, whether you should use online therapy depends on your situation. Many online therapy services like BetterHelp offer cognitive-behavioral health therapy (CBT), which BetterHelp says is not for people with severe mental health disorders. It is always best to start the mental health conversation with your doctor, who can point you to the right treatment.
