Does insurance cover online therapy?

A: In California, yes — with one distinction that catches everyone. A covered therapist seen by video is covered: AB 744 requires commercial plans to pay for telehealth on the same terms and at the same rates as in-person care,¹ so your in-network therapist's video sessions carry your ordinary copay. Medi-Cal and Medicare cover video mental health too, including from your home →. What's usually not covered: subscription therapy apps — BetterHelp-style memberships mostly run outside insurance entirely (the math →), and paying a subscription next to an unused $30 copay benefit is the most common overpay in this whole space. The question isn't "is online covered," it's "is this provider in network" — the video part is then automatic.

Worked example: Anthem PPO, $30 specialist copay. In-network LMFT by video from your kitchen: $30. BetterHelp: ~$70+/week cash, insurance untouched. Same screen, very different bill.

Do this: filter your insurer's directory for telehealth, or ask any therapist "are you in-network with [plan], and do you do video?" Remember the search radius is the whole state → — and the 10-day rule → applies to video appointments the same as office ones.

Source: 1. AB 744 (2019), Health & Safety Code §1374.14 — telehealth payment parity — leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.