How telehealth insurance coverage works
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, most commercial insurance plans and Medicaid programs significantly expanded telehealth coverage. Today, most major insurers — Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UHC, Humana — cover video-based behavioral health services at the same rate as in-person care.
What to check before your first appointment
- Call the number on your insurance card and ask: "Do you cover telehealth behavioral health services?"
- Ask about your copay or coinsurance for telehealth vs in-person
- Ask whether you need a referral
- Confirm the provider must be in-network for coverage to apply
Medicare and Medicaid telehealth
Medicare covers telehealth mental health services. Medicaid telehealth coverage varies significantly by state — most states now cover telehealth therapy, but rules differ. The SAMHSA website has state-specific Medicaid telehealth information.
Finding in-network telehealth providers
Search BehavioralHealthGuide.org with your insurance plan selected and the "Telehealth Available" filter active. All providers showing your insurance as accepted have been verified against the NPI Registry — reducing the risk of surprise billing from out-of-network providers.