Talkspace Insurance – How to Get Online Therapy Covered

October 27, 2023

Online therapy through platforms like Talkspace has exploded in popularity in recent years. The ability to conveniently message licensed therapists anytime anywhere provides huge value. But one downside is that the cost of services like Talkspace without insurance coverage is quite high.

The good news is that Talkspace has taken major steps to accept various insurance plans. Having Talkspace insurance coverage can significantly reduce your payment for online counseling.

In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about how to use insurance with Talkspace and lower the cost of virtual therapy.

Talkspace Insurance Coverage Basics

Historically, Talkspace only offered monthly and weekly subscription plans paid directly by users. But in 2022, the company began participating with select insurance networks and carriers, including:

Optum Behavioral Health provider network
Cigna, Premera Blue Cross, and other major insurance companies
Access to these plans is through employer-provided coverage

With these new partnerships, Talkspace insurance coverage is now possible depending on your specific plan’s benefits. Talkspace itself doesn’t offer insurance. But by joining these networks, your existing insurance may reimburse Talkspace therapy.

Not all plans cover Talkspace yet though. We’ll explain more about qualifying plans and benefits below.

What Insurance Plans Cover Talkspace?

Given Talkspace’s partnerships, here are the most common plan types that include Talkspace insurance benefits:

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plans
EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization) plans
Point of service (POS) plans may also cover Talkspace therapy

Importantly, HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plans and government insurance like Medicare and Medicaid are unlikely to reimburse for Talkspace counseling currently.

The key is looking for PPO or EPO plans from major insurance companies like Cigna, Premera Blue Cross, and others where Talkspace is in-network. This opens up coverage.

How to Check If Your Insurance Works With Talkspace

Figuring out if your specific health insurance plan covers Talkspace is straightforward:

Call the number on the back of your insurance card
Ask the representative if your plan is a PPO or EPO through Optum Behavioral Health
Specifically, ask if your plan includes coverage for “virtual or online behavioral health therapy”
Have them confirm any copay amount or coinsurance rate for this benefit

This will let you know if Talkspace is likely covered and what you can expect to pay per session.

Having the details on your insurance ID card on hand makes it easy to get answers.

Utilizing Talkspace With Your Insurance Benefits

If you confirm your health plan provides coverage for Talkspace therapy, using your insurance benefits is simple:

Any copays or deductibles specified by your plan will apply
Talkspace bills your insurance provider directly each month
You just pay any applicable copay amount through Talkspace
Talkspace handles submitting claims and obtaining payment

As long as coverage is active, Talkspace takes care of charging your insurance. You pay the usual co-pay or session fee amounts outlined in your benefits.

Signing Up for Talkspace With Insurance

The process of registering with Talkspace and inputting insurance info is easy:

Create your Talkspace account first to get matched with a therapist
Complete any onboarding questionnaires to describe your therapy needs
After getting matched, go to Settings and click “Insurance”
Enter your insurance details including ID number, group number, etc.
Talkspace will verify your coverage and benefits
If approved, you can start the therapy and insurance will be billed

Be sure to provide complete and accurate insurance details in your account to enable coverage.

What Does Talkspace Therapy Cost with Insurance?

If your health plan covers Talkspace online therapy, what can you expect to pay out of pocket? Your share of the cost for insured Talkspace counseling sessions will depend on a few factors:

Your specific insurance plan’s coverage details
Any copay or coinsurance amount required
Your progress meeting deductible amounts

Generally with Talkspace insurance, these are typical costs to expect:

Copay amounts from $25 to $60 per therapy session or month
Coinsurance rates of 20% to 50% of the total fees
Need to meet the annual deductible first before copays/coinsurance start

For example, if your plan has a $40 copay for online counseling, that’s all you would pay per session through Talkspace. With a 30% coinsurance rate, your share of a $200 monthly fee would be $60.

Any amounts not covered by insurance are collected by Talkspace directly. Depending on the specifics, insurance can cover a significant chunk of Talkspace costs and keep your out-of-pocket fees low.

Note: Check with your insurance provider to learn copay, coinsurance, and deductible amounts that apply to your plan’s Talkspace benefits. This allows you to estimate your potential Talkspace insurance costs.

Talkspace vs BetterHelp Insurance Coverage

One major advantage Talkspace currently has over competitors like BetterHelp is accepting insurance:

BetterHelp does not currently take any insurance plans
You pay the full BetterHelp membership cost out of pocket
With Talkspace, insured therapy sessions can be covered partially or fully

This gives Talkspace an edge in terms of offering lower out-of-pocket costs for online counseling by tapping insurance benefits.

Conclusion

The ability to use insurance for Talkspace is a huge step forward in reducing the costs of online therapy. If you have eligible coverage, taking advantage of benefits can make virtual counseling more affordable.

Be sure to check on specific plan details to confirm your insurance covers Talkspace. With many major carriers on board, online therapy can now be an insured health benefit.

Talkspace Insurance – How to Get Online Therapy Covered