Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Betterhelp?(A Complete Guide)

This article will answer the question of whether or not Blue Cross Blue Shield provides coverage for the services of Betterhelp. It will also explore whether or not this is a good idea or not and why. Furthermore, the article will introduce the services of Betterhelp and their costs. It will also introduce the insurance company under discussion to the audience.

Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Betterhelp?

Although Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) recognizes telemental health and provides coverage for such services, the online mental health platform discourages the use of insurance for it’s services because of the following reasons:

• Health insurance plans have partial or limited coverage so it really isn’t useful. Most of the time they do not fully cover the costs and one ends up doing much paperwork to get very little benefit. On top of that you need to finance the insurance as well somehow.

• In the case that your health insurance plan covers all costs of the services, the co-pay of insurance may be higher than the entire cost of Betterhelp’s services – this is due to the generally low cost services of Betterhelp due to it’s online nature and ease of accessibility for all. So, it is better not to avail insurance because you may end up paying way more to get the insurance compared to the actual costs of the services.

• Clients at Betterhelp may not be able to use insurance because insurance companies often require that the diagnosis of a patient and their future treatment plans are sent to them. However, at Betterhelp service providers are not allowed to diagnose patients for a number of reasons. The service providers are also not allowed to prescribe drugs. As said before, insurance companies require some sort of documentation or proof that a person is indeed eligible for insurance.

Betterhelp strongly discourages the use of insurance for it’s services because of the above reasons. We will take a look at what Betterhelp provides in terms of services and costs so that the audience understands the online mental health company’s stance.

Betterhelp – What It Offers!

In this section we will look at not only the services offered here but also the cost of these services! The section will also identify additional services of benefits of using this platform!

Services Available At Betterhelp

How does Betterhelp reach out to its clients? Let us take as look at the following to find out:

• Chatrooms: These are open 24/7 and you can drop a message any time you feel like doing so. However, your counselor will only get back to you once they have the time or chance to. Usually people like dropping questions they want opinions on from their counselor and don’t mind waiting a bit.

• Live Chatting Sessions: here you can chat with your counselor in real time and there really is no limit on the number of messages exchanged or time spent talking here. It depends on the needs of the client and the nature of the problem.

• Live Phone Calls: Kind of like Skype this platform has their own system set up where you can have audio sessions with your service provider. It does not show your contact details to the counselor for reasons of privacy and in case the counselor and counselee become direct. 

• Video Sessions: clients who are more comfortable or want a more personalized experience can also opt for video sessions. Like other mediums of interaction, there is no limit on these although people mostly hold the opinion that 1 or 2 sessions per week are sufficient.

The Cost Of Services At Betterhelp

This company offers different subscription packages that affect the amount of money you need to pay them at the end of the month. The details are given below for each subscription offer:

• Weekly Plan: It costs $80/week where you subscribe to their services for a week only and can avail whatever and how many sessions you need. In case you subscribe every week, you will have to pay $320 at the end of the month.

• Monthly Plan: It costs a total of $260 per month which breaks down to $60/week. The client is billed monthly as well – this is pretty straightforward

• Quarterly Plan: This plan costs a total of $540 but the weekly costs breaks down into $45 a week only because of the longer subscription availed by the client. At the end of the each month the client must pay $180

• Annual Plan: For clients who need long term services, they can pay $1820 which results in only $35 per week which is extremely cheap. At the end of each month the client is liable to pay $140 only which is the cheapest option.

Additional Benefits

In this section, we will briefly look at other services the mental health platform provides access to!

Here are some of the benefits of services available to clients:

• Unlimited Sessions: Apart from the services you get at Betterhelp, one benefit is that you can avail unlimited sessions during your subscription package which makes it easier for you to ensure your needs are met without worrying about additional finances.

• Monthly Subscriptions: The company offers monthly subscriptions; you do not have to pay for each session as this greatly raises the cost especially if you don’t know how many sessions you need or if you need too many! Furthermore, the service can be availed for less than a month too but billing is always done on a monthly basis.

• Anonymity: You do not have to reveal your true identity to your counselor; this seems like a relief especially if you have a number of unpleasant details you need to share with them. However, your real information is required to verify payment details.

• Selecting A Service Provider: Although you are matched with a service provider, you can always change one easily or choose one yourself.

• Digital Worksheets: You can be assigned digital worksheets from a collection of 150+ by your counselor. This makes the sessions interactive, long lasting in terms of effects and gives you some sort of guidance and support even when your counselor is not there.

Like their services? Sign up today by clicking here!

If Not Insurance Then What?

You can always use financial aid! This is an option Betterhelp provides to individuals who are not in a position to avail mental health services due to financial limitations. This financial aid can reduce your counseling fees from $280 to as low as $216 but applies to people based on their financial status and income. 

You can avail this when you are signing up as a client. Make sure to show that you are in need of financial assistance especially when the website asks about your employment status, financial status and income.

Although Betterhelp claims it’s services are quite affordable, the company still realizes that many individuals are suffering from tough financial situations and thus offers this option that makes a huge difference. It believes in making mental health care affordable to people across the world in an efficient and effective manner.

What Is Blue Cross Blue Shield?

It is a federation where 36 health insurance companies have come together to provide health insurance services to more than 106 million people in the United States. The company has customized it’s services according to each State’s requirements and works with doctors, hospitals and health care providers across the states to help create a system where people can live free of worry and meet their basic health needs. The aim of this federation is to provide quality affordable healthcare to citizens of the States.

BetterHelp – Your Online Partner In Mental Health

Betterhelp is one of the largest online platforms that provides multiple services for all types of people who are suffering from mental health problems and require counseling. What is great about this service is that it is online hence it is available anywhere and every time. You do not have to go to the doctor’s office to get an appointment or wait in line for your turn. This is great if you feel pretty down and getting out of bed is a challenge for you!

With approximately 1700 licensed therapists available online at the click of a button, Betterhelp ensures that its clients receive the best help they can get by connecting them to professional therapists and counselors who know what they need to do This is apparent by the total number of sessions which Betterhelp has already conducted from their platform; a whopping 70 million sessions already completed! This is possible because the company understands the needs of clients well and hence provides therapy related services to them online and not just at  physical location. In a world where things are changing constantly and the unknown is always around the corner, it is becoming more of a need rather than a desire to get services online and at your doorstep – we simply don’t have time nowadays!

Conclusion

This article looked at whether insurance coverage provided by BCBS will cover the costs of the services offered by Betterhelp and what stance the online company holds on this. It also highlighted what services the mental health platform provides at what costs and what other options there are to insurance.

References

https://www.bcbs.com/about-us/the-blue-cross-blue-shield-system