Can therapy be covered by insurance?

Therapy is a helpful resource and a research-backed practice that helps with all sorts of issues. From life’s typical bumps in the road to handling longer-term conditions like depression or a personality disorder, therapy is a very effective means of treatment. One of the benefits of therapy is that the skills built within it and learned from it travel outside the therapy space and last longer than the therapy itself.

Health insurance policies often cover therapy (also called counseling or psychotherapy). To be sure of insurance benefits for therapy, you will need to speak with your health insurance provider. Typically, insurance will pay for therapy, but there are some restrictions or considerations. Some challenges when using insurance benefits include:

• Your insurance may not cover visits with the therapist you prefer. You will likely be limited to choosing from therapists that are on board with your insurance provider.
• Some insurance policies only pay for therapy for certain diagnosable conditions, which can limit the availability of therapy for you.
• Insurance companies may only provide a set number of sessions over a specific time period.
• Insurance typically covers a portion of the fees for therapy, and you may be responsible for a copay or the balance remaining.
• Not all insurances pay for teletherapy or online therapy, which may limit you to providers within a set geographic area.
• Some insurance companies limit the treatments that a therapist can provide. For example, some insurance companies don’t pay for hypnotherapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, and others.

It’s helpful to contact your insurance provider before contacting a therapist you may want to see. This list of potential challenges can help you ask informed questions. For example, if you know you want to see a therapist who utilizes EMDR, you’ll want to ask the insurance company if they permit the therapists paired with them to provide and bill for EMDR. Ask for a list of therapists in your area or if your insurance company allows you to select a therapist to meet with via video or phone.

One of the most important aspects of a successful outcome is the relationship you and your therapist can form when looking for a therapist. Finding a therapist you feel comfortable with and can share with is important to the overall outcome. Talk with your insurance company to make sure that your preferred therapist and treatment options are covered!