Several major online therapy platforms accept health insurance, with copays typically ranging from $15 to $30 per session. That’s a fraction of what you’d pay out of pocket, where weekly costs can run $70 to $100 or more. The key is knowing which platforms work with your specific plan, because coverage varies widely by carrier, state, and employer.
Major Platforms That Accept Insurance
Talkspace has built one of the largest insurance networks among online therapy providers. It accepts Cigna, Aetna, Optum, Anthem, Regence, TRICARE, and traditional Medicare, among others. UnitedHealthcare lists Talkspace as a preferred national provider for virtual therapy, meaning many UHC members can access it directly through their benefits. With insurance, Talkspace copays for individual therapy average $25 or less, and psychiatric services average around $30.
BetterHelp now accepts insurance from select carriers, with an average copay of $23 or less. Without insurance, BetterHelp runs $70 to $100 per week, so using your plan makes a significant difference.
Grow Therapy connects you with licensed therapists who accept a range of insurance plans. Copays typically fall between $15 and $25 per session. The platform lets you filter therapists by your insurance carrier, specialty, and availability.
Brightside Health focuses on anxiety and depression treatment, including both therapy and medication management. It accepts major insurance plans and Medicare, though available carriers depend on your state.
Therapist Directories With Insurance Filtering
Not every platform operates like a subscription service. Some function more like directories that help you find individual therapists who are already credentialed with your insurance. Alma and Headway are the two largest in this category. Both let you search for licensed therapists by insurance carrier, specialty, treatment approach, and other criteria. Headway focuses on matching you with clinicians who are in-network with your specific plan. Alma offers more detailed provider profiles and lets you filter by cultural identity and therapeutic style in addition to insurance.
These platforms handle the billing and credentialing behind the scenes, so the therapist you find through them can bill your insurance directly. You pay your normal copay, and the session happens over video. It’s a good option if you want more control over choosing a specific therapist rather than being matched by an algorithm.
Employer-Sponsored Programs
Some online therapy access comes through your employer rather than your insurance card. Lyra Health and Modern Health are two platforms that partner directly with companies to offer mental health benefits as part of a broader benefits package. Lyra integrates with existing insurance plans and digital health tools to create what it calls a “connected ecosystem” for mental health care.
If your employer offers one of these programs, you may get a set number of free therapy sessions per year before insurance kicks in. Check with your HR department or benefits portal, because these programs often go underused simply because employees don’t know they exist.
Medicare and Government Coverage
Medicare Part B covers outpatient psychotherapy delivered via telehealth, and through December 31, 2027, you can receive these sessions from anywhere in the U.S., including your home. After meeting your Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, the same rate you’d pay for an in-person visit. Medicare Advantage plans may offer additional telehealth benefits beyond this baseline.
Talkspace and Brightside Health both accept traditional Medicare. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, check directly with the platform or your plan to confirm coverage, since networks vary by plan and region.
Medicaid coverage for online therapy varies significantly by state. Some state Medicaid programs cover telehealth therapy broadly, while others impose restrictions on which providers or platforms qualify. Your best bet is to call the number on your Medicaid card and ask specifically about virtual mental health services.
How Much You’ll Actually Pay
The cost difference between insured and uninsured online therapy is dramatic. With commercial insurance, the average copay for an in-network therapy session is about $23. Out-of-network visits average around $53. Compare that to paying out of pocket: Talkspace starts at $69 per week for messaging-only therapy and goes up to $109 per week for video sessions with messaging. Calmerry ranges from $57 to $90 per week. Couples therapy costs even more, with Talkspace charging $436 per month for couples and Octave starting at $190 per session for family therapy.
If you don’t have insurance or your plan doesn’t cover online therapy, some platforms offer reduced rates. Open Path Psychotherapy Collective charges between $40 and $70 per session for individual counseling without insurance, and sessions with graduate-level interns cost as little as $30.
State Laws Affect Your Coverage
Whether your insurance fully covers online therapy partly depends on where you live. Currently, 23 states plus Washington, D.C. have payment parity laws requiring insurers to reimburse telehealth services at the same rate as in-person care. Connecticut recently made its parity requirement permanent. New York extended its parity law through April 2026.
In states without parity laws, your insurer could technically reimburse a virtual therapy session at a lower rate than an identical in-person visit, or impose additional restrictions. This doesn’t mean online therapy won’t be covered, but your out-of-pocket costs could be higher than expected.
How to Check Your Specific Coverage
The fastest way to verify coverage is to use the insurance checker built into most platforms. Talkspace, BetterHelp, Grow Therapy, and Brightside Health all let you enter your insurance information before signing up to see your estimated copay. This takes about two minutes and gives you a clear answer.
If you want to verify coverage independently, call the member services number on your insurance card. Ask whether your plan covers outpatient psychotherapy delivered via telehealth, and whether the specific platform you’re considering is in-network. You can also ask about coverage for a diagnostic evaluation (the first session, where the therapist assesses your needs) and ongoing individual psychotherapy sessions of 45 to 53 minutes, which are the most common session lengths.
One thing to confirm: whether your plan requires a referral from a primary care provider before starting therapy. Some HMO plans still require this step, and skipping it could mean your sessions aren’t covered even if the platform is technically in-network.