Best online therapy with insurance

If you have health insurance with behavioral health coverage, using it for online therapy can cut your costs by 60 to 80 percent. The problem is figuring out which platforms actually accept your plan. Here's the current landscape.

Broadest insurance coverage: Talkspace

Talkspace has the most established insurance partnerships in online therapy. They work with Aetna, Cigna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Optum, TRICARE, and Medicare Part B. Average copays run $15 to $30 per session, which means weekly therapy could cost $60 to $120 per month instead of $276 or more out of pocket.

A nice feature: you can check whether your insurance is accepted on Talkspace's site without creating an account first. That saves time if your plan isn't covered.

Best for therapy plus medication: Brightside Health

Brightside accepts many of the same major insurers as Talkspace (Aetna, Cigna, Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, Ambetter) plus some Medicare and Medicaid plans in select states. Copays average $15 to $30. What sets Brightside apart is the combination of therapy and affordable psychiatry. The medication management plan is just $95 per month out of pocket, making it one of the cheapest paths to a prescribing provider.

The trade-off: Brightside focuses on depression and anxiety and does not prescribe controlled substances.

Best for choosing your own therapist: Grow Therapy

Grow Therapy takes a different approach. Instead of matching you with a therapist, it gives you a searchable directory of over 15,000 providers. You can filter by insurance to see only therapists who accept your plan, then browse their profiles and choose. This combines the insurance savings of a platform like Talkspace with the agency of choosing your own provider.

You pay per session (just your copay with insurance), not a monthly subscription. Grow Therapy accepts a wide range of insurance plans and handles billing on the backend.

Expanding but limited: BetterHelp

As of early 2026, BetterHelp has started accepting select insurance plans in 13 states, including Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Optum. Average copays for eligible users are around $19. However, coverage is still limited geographically and by plan. Most BetterHelp users still pay out of pocket.

If BetterHelp is your preferred platform, it's worth checking whether your plan is accepted. But don't count on it yet.

How to check your coverage

Start with Talkspace, since they let you check eligibility without creating an account. If your plan isn't accepted there, try Grow Therapy's directory (filter by your insurance). Then check Brightside if you might want medication management too. Each platform's sign-up flow will verify your coverage early in the process.

You can also call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask about coverage for "telehealth behavioral health services." Ask specifically about copay amounts, whether a referral is required, and how many sessions per year are covered.

What if your insurance isn't accepted?

If none of the major platforms take your plan, you have a few options. Some platforms (including Talkspace) let you submit superbills for out-of-network reimbursement, meaning you pay upfront and your insurance reimburses a portion. BetterHelp accepts HSA and FSA cards, which use pre-tax dollars. And if you're paying fully out of pocket, Calmerry (around $50/week) and BetterHelp with financial aid ($39 to $60/week) are the most affordable options.