Does Talkspace take my insurance?
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This blogpost will discuss if Talkspace takes your insurance. We shall also look at why therapy is actually so expensive. In addition to this, we will describe the benefits or advantages of availing online therapy. Online mental health platforms like Talkspace provide cost effective mental health care and assistance for a wide range of problems and issues.
Does Talkspace take my insurance?
Yes, of course, Talkspace does take insurance. The platform understands that therapy, even online therapy can be quite expensive and thus has connected with various insurance providers which can cover the costs of the plans that the user has chosen. The various insurance providers that Talkspace has tied up with are Optum, Cigna and Humana among many others.
Why is therapy so expensive?
Many of us are aware of the high costs of therapy, whether it is in-person or not. In fact, this cost factor is the main reason why many of us don’t go to therapy, even when we need it the most. The high costs of mental health care are also the main reason why many drop out of mental health programs even when they are not fully recovered.
Therapy is expensive due to a large number of reasons and factors. In this section, we shall discuss why therapy is actually so expensive and difficult to afford for everyone.
The education is not cheap
The education that one takes in order to practice psychotherapy or even professional counseling is time-consuming and takes a lot of effort. It takes up even more money to complete, so much so that therapists take years of practice just to pay off their student loans. In addition, clients also seek out therapists who have studied in prime institutions, additionally bumping up the costs.
Licensing costs are high
It is not enough that the therapist has a degree or diploma in professional counseling or therapy. They also need to be licensed to practice and this procedure can different from state to state and from region to region. Licensing also requires the therapists to have undergone many other courses and can be quite a costly but necessary affair.
Marketing expenses
Therapists require clients on a regular basis in order to earn money and profit. And thus, many of them have many marketing schemes and ad placements in order to market and develop their practices. These can be quite expensive, especially as ads for therapists need to be tasteful and classy for the right clientele to come in.
Office expenses
Therapists also need to have the right office in the right location so that there is visibility and accessibility for clients. Therapy offices are not exactly easy to create as they need to be comforting, welcoming and relaxing for any client. They also need to be quite aesthetically pleasing which can be quite expensive to create and arrange.
Loads and loads of paperwork
Therapy and interventions come with tons of paperwork, especially those related to insurance. These can actually take up a massive chunk of the therapist’s time and can actually get in the way of their actual duties. For this reason, many therapists and providers hire assistants, which can additionally burn a hole in their pockets.
Client inflow might be unsteady
Clients may come and go at any time and there also may be dropouts in any type of mental health program. And thus, business profit for the therapist is not exactly guaranteed. This is another one of the reasons why therapists charge so much as their fees. They will definitely see a peak and fall of client strengths throughout the year.
Mental and emotional labor
There is a lot of mental and emotional labor associated with therapy. It may seem easy to sit and listen to problems and give appropriate advice, but therapists go through trauma and distress of their own when they are a part of someone else’s problems. Thus, many therapists face burnouts, depression and may require therapy for their own needs and requirements.
Benefits of online therapy
Many individuals are switching to online therapy as an alternative to in-person therapy as the former has plenty of benefits. This is the reason we see so many online therapy platforms like Talkspace, Betterhelp and Calmerry becoming even more popular than ever before. Some of the benefits that online therapy can bring are:
- It can provide therapy through various means. For example, platforms like Talkspace and Betterhelp extensively use messaging as a form of therapy
- These platform can provide additional resources such as mental health toolkits and exercises that can help in improving the self-awareness and self-regulation of the users
- The security features of these platforms, especially those like Talkspace, are spectacular and thus the confidentiality and privacy of the users information is fully guaranteed
- The client-therapist fit in online therapy is much better and easier. Platforms like Betterhelp and Calmerry have a large network of therapists and use AI in order to bring the most suitable therapist for their users
- Online therapy can be accessed at anytime from anywhere making it highly convenient and easy to use
- Online therapy can also be quite cost-effective as compared to in-person therapy, which further increases its appeal
Conclusion
This blogpost has discussed whether Talkspace takes your insurance. We have also looked at why therapy is actually so expensive. In addition to this, we have also described the benefits or advantages of availing online therapy.
If you like this blogpost, please leave your comments and questions below.
Citations
https://www.innerbody.com/betterhelp-vs-talkspace
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/online-therapy-that-takes-insurance
https://www.medmalrx.com/?does-talkspace-work-with-insurance/
https://www.verywellmind.com/does-my-health-insurance-cover-online-therapy-4842511
https://dbm.maryland.gov/benefits/Documents/uhc-talkspace-member.pdf
https://www.bluecrossmn.com/health-plans-101/coverage-behavioral-and-mental-health-conditions
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