Access to online therapy depends on your insurance coverage and location. Most insurance companies cover online therapy services, but many require video therapy. In addition, if your insurance doesn't cover online therapy, there are other options, such as free therapy sites. Many insurance providers, including Medicaid and Medicare, now cover online therapy.
Always check with your provider and your insurance company to make sure your treatment is covered. Once you've determined how you'll pay, you can focus your attention on choosing an online therapist who can meet your needs. Aetna offers plans that include virtual counseling (what they call televideo). To get coverage, you'll usually need to work with your primary care doctor and an Aetna care advocate.
Online therapy offers an innovative way to connect comfortably with a licensed therapist from your own home. Many online therapy websites offer a monthly plan or package that is affordable when insurance is not used. Just like it does with its clients, online therapy helps them better balance their family and work lives. There are many online therapy options that accept insurance or offer self-pay rates that can fit your budget.
A recent survey by Qualtrics and Talkspace showed that 60% of Americans aged 18 to 49 believe that their insurance covers in-person mental health services, but only 20% think their insurance would cover telemedicine services, such as online therapy. Hosted by editor-in-chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares the pros and cons of online therapy. It is also unlikely that Blue Cross Blue Shield will cover therapy sessions that take place outside the therapy office, due to the increased risk involved. However, Talkspace was one of the largest and most established online therapy platforms in the digital space.
However, the reality is that while there are many online therapy services on the market, most are not in-network for a reason. If you're intrigued by online therapy but aren't sure if it's for you, I wanted to create this sensible resource to help you decide. Some therapists were surprised to discover that online therapy improved the connection they felt with their clients. As with other insurance providers, Medicaid and Medicare have also expanded their coverage for online therapy services.
You can choose to avoid using insurance benefits for therapy if you have a high deductible or if the copay is close to the cost of the therapy session. We expect to see the same kind of lasting change in online therapy coverage that we've seen in general mental health care insurance coverage over the past few years. If you're feeling too shy or vulnerable to sit down with a therapist, online therapy could give you the distance you need to open up.
