Does Insurance Cover Grief Counseling?

BetterHelp insurance availability, coverage, and cost may vary by state, plan, provider network, therapist availability, and deductible status.

Insurance may cover grief counseling if there is a diagnosable mental health condition present, such as prolonged grief disorder, depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder, and if sessions are provided by a licensed mental health professional. 

However, it is important to review the details of your specific health insurance plan to understand your benefits and any requirements for coverage. 

What is grief counseling?

After losing a loved one, many people experience grief: the painful, distressing anguish that can arise after a significant loss. 

Grief may not always be simple or straightforward, and it can bring with it a complex storm of physiological, mental, and emotional reactions, such as disrupted sleep, restlessness, confusion, yearning, dwelling on the past, and feelings of sadness, loneliness, and guilt. 

Grief is considered a natural response to a significant loss, and for some people, the weight of grief gradually lessens. However, for others, intense grief may persist and can even contribute to other mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. No matter what grief looks like for you, if you want support in coping with a difficult loss, counseling can help. 

Grief counseling is a form of mental health support for people coping with loss, and it can help with a range of concerns, such as:

• Processing difficult emotions 
• Adjusting to life after loss
• Building coping strategies to manage sadness, loneliness, and other challenges
• Managing symptoms of depression, anxiety, guilt, anger, or trauma 

Counseling for grief and loss can be short-term or ongoing, depending on your needs. 

Does insurance cover grief counseling?

When you’re coping with a difficult loss, having to figure out the logistics of getting support can feel like an additional burden, but it is often a necessary step. For many people, a key part of that equation is figuring out if their health insurance covers therapy and counseling for grief. “

Here is the short answer: insurance may cover grief counseling particularly if there is a mental health diagnosis and counseling is provided by a licensed mental health professional. 

The longer answer is that there are several important caveats and considerations to keep in mind. In particular, grief counseling insurance coverage can vary depending on a range of factors, including: 

• Your insurance provider 

• Your specific health insurance plan (its benefits, deductible, copays, etc.)

• Whether a diagnosis is required for coverage

• Whether you are seeking in-network or out-of-network care

• Whether the provider accepts insurance 

When might grief counseling be covered?

While therapy for standard grief alone is often not covered by insurance, there are several situations in which health insurance may be more likely to cover therapy for grief, loss, and related concerns. 

When grief is affecting daily life for an extended period of time

For many people, the effects of grief gradually dissolve, and they are able to adapt to the loss over time. However, this is not the case for everyone. Around 4%–15% of adults who have lost a loved one may experience a more persistent and disabling type of grief known as prolonged grief disorder. 

Symptoms of prolonged grief disorder may include: 

• Intense emotional pain 
• Intense loneliness 
• Emotional numbness 
• Feeling that life is meaningless
• Difficulty readjusting to life
• Avoiding reminders of the loss 
• A sense of disbelief about the death
• Identity disruption

For prolonged grief disorder to be diagnosed in adults, the loss must have occurred at least one year ago, and at least three of the above symptoms must be present for at least the last month. For those experiencing prolonged grief, professional support can be key to recovery. Since there is a diagnosable mental health condition present, prolonged grief disorder therapy is often covered by insurance. 

When there is a mental health diagnosis

Another situation in which insurance may be more likely to cover therapy for grief would be if there is an existing mental health diagnosis or if therapy uncovers one. For example, some related conditions that can be common include: 

• Depression 
• Anxiety 
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Adjustment disorder

Adjustment disorder is a condition in which a person responds to a stressful event with severe emotions and behaviors that affect life at work or home. It can be caused by many different types of stressful events, including the death of a loved one. 

When counseling is provided by a licensed professional

In most cases, a core requirement for insurance coverage for therapy or counseling in general is that sessions are provided by a licensed mental health professional, such as:

• Licensed psychologists 
• Licensed clinical social workers 
• Licensed professional counselors 
• Licensed marriage and family therapists

What types of grief support may insurance cover?

As with other forms of mental health support, grief support is generally not one-size-fits-all. Different people may prefer different forms of support, which opens up another question: what forms of grief support might insurance cover?

Keeping in mind the situations and caveats mentioned above, when insurance does cover therapy for grief, the common forms of support it may cover include: 

• Individual therapy (such as prolonged or complicated grief therapy)
• Group therapy
• Psychiatric evaluation 
• Medication management 

Meanwhile, insurance typically does not cover peer-led grief support groups or other informal forms of support that are not delivered by a licensed professional. 

Costs related to grief counseling

It’s important to note that even when grief counseling is covered by insurance, there are often still a number of costs to consider. These can depend on your particular insurance plan, but can include your deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, copay or coinsurance, and out-of-network fees. 

Looking for more ways to access grief-related therapy?

At the end of the day, the only way to know for certain if you can use your insurance for therapy after loss is to examine the details of your particular plan. To do so, you can try the steps outlined below. 

1. Review your mental health benefits

To start, you can check your plan’s mental health coverage for grief counseling by visiting your online member portal or reviewing your plan documents. If you are checking online, you can navigate to the relevant tab (often called “Benefits” or “Coverage”) and then find the section that details your mental health benefits, such as therapy. You can also find this information in your physical plan documents, such as your Summary of Benefits and Coverage. 

2. Call your insurance provider

Next, you can find additional information about your plan’s grief therapy insurance coverage by contacting your insurance provider directly. When you call, you might ask questions such as: 

• Does my plan cover outpatient mental health therapy?
• Is grief counseling covered?
• Do I need a diagnosis for coverage?
• Do I need a referral or prior authorization?
• How can I find in-network providers for grief counseling near me?
• Does insurance cover online therapy for grief?

3. Ask the therapist’s office

Finally, you can also clarify important details regarding insurance coverage and cost by asking the therapist you hope to work with. When you call the therapist’s office, you could ask questions such as: 

• Do you accept my insurance? 
• How would you bill insurance for our therapy sessions?
• Can you provide a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement? 

Can online therapy be used for grief counseling?

For some people, the pain and anguish of grief can make it difficult to find the energy to leave the house for in-person therapy appointments. If this is something you’re experiencing, online grief counseling may be a convenient alternative. 

Research shows that online therapy can be effective for grief: a recent study found that a web-based cognitive behavioral intervention was effective in reducing symptoms of prolonged grief disorder.

With online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp, you can meet with a licensed therapist from the comfort of home, which may feel more doable on those particularly painful days. 

BetterHelp accepts insurance through many major insurance plans. During signup, you can enter your insurance information to view available options, estimated costs, and plan details. Insurance availability and coverage may vary by state, plan, provider network, and therapist availability.

What if insurance does not cover grief counseling?

If your insurance plan does not cover grief counseling, you are not out of options: there are still a number of avenues you can explore to find affordable grief counseling. Some options include:

• Therapists who offer sliding-scale fees
• Mental health clinics or nonprofits that offer low-cost sessions
• Online therapy platforms that let you choose a self-pay option at an affordable price
• Employee assistance programs (EAPs) that provide free short-term counseling 

If you would like to connect with others who are also navigating the challenges of grief, you can also explore free grief support groups in your community or online.