Generally, BetterHelp does not submit insurance claims. However, this does not mean that part of your bill cannot be covered. Oftentimes, there is much confusion for those asking "Does BetterHelp take insurance?" So, for better clarity, here is BetterHelp's official statement from their FAQ page regarding BetterHelp Insurance:
Neither BetterHelp nor Therapists on the BetterHelp Platform submit claims to Medicare, Medicaid or health insurers. Services offered using this site are generally not covered by health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.
Coverage and benefits for traditional therapy and therapy services change from one health insurance company to another and from plan to plan, but generally the following rules apply:
- With many health insurance plans, coverage can be partial or very limited.
- Even if your plan covers all your costs, the co-pay that you would be required to contribute may be higher than the entire cost of BetterHelp.
- In many cases, before you can get reimbursed by your insurance company, your therapist would have to diagnose you with a mental disorder or issue. This diagnosis would be sent to the insurance company and recorded in your medical file. In some cases the therapist would also have to provide additional clinical information to the insurance company, such as treatment plans, summaries or copies of the entire record.
Please note that BetterHelp offers very affordable pricing options which are typically comparable with the co-pays of most insurance plans.
To help with the expenses involved with getting mental health treatment, Psych Times has partnered up with BetterHelp and is offering our readers a 10% OFF discount on the 1st month of treatment. Click the button below to use our discount.
As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.
Why is There No BetterHelp Insurance?
For those asking Does BetterHelp take insurance?, they will be surely disappointed as the mental health platform does not generally accept it. However, this is not the end of the story here.
As transcribed on their FAQ page, they specifically state that the pricing of BetterHelp is typically comparable with the co-pays of most insurance plans.
This means that even though they will likely not accept insurance, nor is there any sort of in-house BetterHelp Insurance Plan, you can still expect to save a lot of money by using BetterHelp when compared to traditional brick-and-mortar clinics and hospitals.
The typical cost of BetterHelp is around $60 to $90 per week (billed monthly). Compare this to a private therapy clinic and you can expect to literally save hundreds of dollars per month if paying out-of-pocket.
This is largely why there is no BetterHelp Insurance. Being a 100% online, teletherapy platform, they are able to provide the same mental health services a hospital or clinic can, but without the cost of renting property, renting an office, and paying numerous taxes.
There is no BetterHelp Insurance because they have leveraged their online platform in a way that allows them to offer their services for much less than they would be able to if they were a traditional brick-and-mortar clinic.
Paying out-of-pocket, mental health treatment at a private clinic can be over $100 per visit, and sometimes even over $200 per visit depending on the type of therapy received. With this in mind, BetterHelp is sometimes fractions of what traditional therapy costs.
Additionally, BetterHelp has many partnerships with influencers and websites to provide discounts to help with the expenses of mental health treatment. Psych Times has such a partnership and is currently offering 10% OFF the first month of services with BetterHelp.
Types of Health Insurances Providers
There are a plethora of different types of health insurance plans out there, with each provider as unique as their offerings. Below, you'll find a list of some of the most common health insurance providers available:
- Blue Cross / Blue Shield
- UnitedHealth
- Kaiser Foundation
- Anthem Inc.
- Humana
- CVS
- Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC)
- Centene Corp
- Cigna Health
- Medicaid
One of the most common types of health insurance is called "Private Health Insurance." Private health insurance provides require that you choose a specific plan and agree to pay a certain amount each month—known as a premium—in exchange for health coverage. This type of health insurance is often offered at employers as a "benefit" for working for their company.
The specific mental health services that will be covered will depend upon the health insurance provider, as well as the individual plan you have. Nevertheless, some common services that private health insurance providers usually cover are inpatient hospitalization, partial hospitalization, outpatient mental health treatment, emergency care, and prescription drugs.
Another very common form of health insurance is Medicaid, which is a public state and federal combined health insurance program that provides health insurance coverage to low-income children and adults who meet certain eligibility criteria.
Some of this criteria include pregnant women and children under the age of 6 with family income below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL), children ages 6-18 below 100% of FPL, and most older adults and individuals with disabilities including mental illness who receive federal SSI (generally 75% of FPL).
Conclusion: Does BetterHelp Take Insurance? Or Is There a BetterHelp Insurance Plan?
The short answer to both questions is no. However, there are many different insurance providers out there that have unique offerings. Therefore, it is possible to have some type of BetterHelp insurance coverage insofar as the respective insurance provider is willing to offer assistance in some way.
Nevertheless, it should still be understood that even without any sort of BetterHelp Insurance used, the cost of BetterHelp will be oftentimes much lower than if paying out-of-pocket at a private mental health clinic or hospital.
Furthermore, even with health insurance, the cost of BetterHelp is often similar to that of what a typical copay would cost, depending on the respective health insurance provider.
Also taking into account the convenience and accessibility of teletherapy, as well as its low cost, it is no surprise why so many people are making the switch from traditional therapy at brick-and-mortar clinics over to online telehealth platforms like BetterHelp, even in lieu of any sort of BetterHelp Insurance.
Although there is not much financial help available with regards to BetterHelp Insurance, Psych Times has partnered up with BetterHelp in an effort to try and help those who are in need. Click the button below or use our promo code "psychtimes" at checkout to get 10% OFF your first month with BetterHelp.
As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.