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Therapy
10 min read
Written by Klarity Editorial Team
Published: Nov 22, 2023
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Zoe Russell
If you’re looking to start working with a mental health therapist, you’ve already taken the biggest step. Working with a therapist can help grapple with mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. But does insurance cover mental health therapy?
This guide covers answer that questions and reviews the pros and cons of using insurance for therapy.
So what’s the deal — does health insurance cover mental health therapy or not? The short answer is yes, it does — most of the time.
Read on for details along with answers to other questions you may have about insurance and therapy.
Most insurance policies cover mental health services, such as ADHD therapy, depression therapy, anxiety therapy, and insomnia therapy, at least to some extent. These services are typically listed as “behavioral health” in insurance plan policies. Therapy may also be included under “outpatient” services.
And the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 dictates that mental health benefits offered under insurance plans are comparable to (or better than) physical health or surgical benefits.
If your plan offers different coverage for in-network and out-of network therapists, it’s important to know the difference and pick a therapist that is in-network.
Also know that behavioral health coverage on insurance plans ranges from full coverage to no coverage at all. That means some insurance plans may not cover therapy. And in some cases, insurance plans only cover therapy and other mental health services when deemed “medically necessary.”
To find out what your plan covers, see your benefits summary or call the number on your health insurance card. Also check to ensure your chosen provider is in-network before your visit. Most providers can tell you if they take your specific insurance.
The U.S., doesn’t have a centralized form of health insurance. This means that people are insured through many different companies and plans.
You may get health insurance through:
You might also be wondering what services arecovered by health insurance. Does any type of mental health therapy qualify?
The types of mental health services covered by insurance depend entirely on the insurance plan that you have. You should read the details of your insurance plan or call them directly to find out if the type of therapy you need is covered.
In general, some common mental health services covered under many insurance plans include:
In some cases, your insurance plan may put an upper limit on the amount of money or time that’s covered. For example, you may have maximum coverage of $5,000 a year or eligible for coverage for inpatient behavioral health stay for a certain amount of time.
Some therapy methods may also not be covered under an insurance plans. For example, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, art therapy, equine therapy, and others are often not covered.
Even if your insurance plan covers behavioral health services, there are some reasons why you might choose not to use insurance to see a therapist.
Most insurance plans do cover therapy and other mental health services if you can’t afford therapy out-of-pocket. If you don’t have any type of health insurance, you’ll need to pay out of pocket. Therapists may charge anywhere from $85 to $300 per session. Some specialists charge even more.
Klaritys marketplace of mental health providers makes it easy for you to access therapy with no insurance. Klarity let’s you bypass insurance companies and get access to qualified mental therapy providers right away.
You can start your therapy journey today with Klarity by taking a free self-assessment.
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