Online Therapy Covered by Fidelis Care
An in-network Fidelis therapist with openings this week, matched to what you’re dealing with. We verify your exact Fidelis copay before your first session.
$0
what most Fidelis members pay
Same week
start your therapy
5,000+
clients since 2014
Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is in-network with Fidelis Care for online therapy across New York State. We confirm your exact copay, your plan’s network status, and any referral or prior authorization requirement with Fidelis before your first session, so you know your cost before you book. First sessions are often available within 5 days of submitting the form.
Quick Answers About Fidelis Therapy
Does Fidelis cover therapy?
Yes. Fidelis Care plans in New York include outpatient mental health benefits. Your exact cost depends on your plan line, and we verify it before you book.
Do you accept Fidelis insurance?
Yes. Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is in-network with Fidelis Care, and we are accepting new Fidelis patients across New York State now.
How much does therapy cost with Fidelis?
Many Fidelis plans have a $0 copay for outpatient therapy. Fidelis Medicaid Managed Care members pay $0 for covered mental health services, Essential Plan members pay $0 or $15 depending on income level, and we confirm your exact copay before your first session.
Is online therapy covered by Fidelis?
Yes. New York insurance law bars plans from excluding a covered service because it is delivered by telehealth. Your telehealth cost-sharing must be at least as favorable as for the same service in person.
How fast can I start therapy?
First sessions are often available within 5 days of submitting the form. Insurance status does not create a separate wait queue.
What Is Fidelis Care?
Fidelis Care is a statewide New York health insurer and a Centene Corporation company, covering more than 2.4 million New Yorkers. Its members span six main plan lines: Medicaid Managed Care, the Essential Plan, Child Health Plus, HealthierLife (HARP, a Medicaid plan for members with significant behavioral health needs), Ambetter from Fidelis Care on the Marketplace, and Wellcare by Fidelis Care for Medicare.
Every Fidelis plan line includes outpatient mental health benefits. What changes from line to line is what you pay and whether your plan needs a referral or prior authorization, which is why we confirm those details with Fidelis before your first session rather than leaving you to decode a benefits booklet.
For in-network sessions, we bill Fidelis directly; you pay only your confirmed copay, if your plan has one. To find out what your specific Fidelis plan covers, call 212-960-8626 and we will check it with Fidelis for you.
Most clients pay little or nothing. Across all MMHC clients, more than 3 in 4 pay $0 out of pocket, and 97% pay $30 or less per session. 100% of members have their exact copay confirmed before their first session.
100%
of members have their exact copay confirmed before session one
Does Fidelis Cover Mental Health?
Yes. Under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), Fidelis must cover mental health benefits no more restrictively than medical or surgical benefits, so copays, coinsurance, and visit limits for therapy cannot be stricter than for a comparable medical visit.
For Medicaid Managed Care and HealthierLife (HARP) members, outpatient therapy coverage is based on medical necessity rather than a fixed annual session cap.
Telehealth is covered on equal footing. New York Insurance Law section 3217-h bars an insurer from excluding an otherwise covered service because it is delivered by telehealth. It also requires telehealth cost-sharing to be at least as favorable as for the same service in person. New York Medicaid separately covers telehealth mental health services. Every MMHC session is secure, HIPAA-compliant video, held on that legal footing.
What Fidelis Therapy Costs
Many Fidelis plans have a $0 copay for outpatient therapy. Your exact cost depends on your plan line. For a covered in-network therapy visit:
A copay is a fixed dollar amount you pay per visit. Coinsurance is a percentage share of the cost instead. A deductible is what you pay before your plan starts covering care; the Essential Plan has no deductible. Prior authorization means advance approval from your insurer before a service; where a plan requires it, we handle the check during benefits verification.
Across all MMHC clients, more than 3 in 4 pay $0 out of pocket, and 97% pay $30 or less per session (MMHC Q2 2026 billing data). We confirm your exact copay with Fidelis before your first appointment.
What We Verify Before Your First Session
A directory listing does not include your cost. When you call 212-960-8626 or submit the form, we confirm six things with your Fidelis plan before you are scheduled:
Copay. Your fixed dollar amount per session.
Coinsurance. Your percentage share of the session cost, if your plan uses one instead of a copay.
Deductible status. How much of your annual deductible, if any, you have already met.
Clinician network status. Whether the specific therapist we match you with is in-network on your specific Fidelis plan.
Referral or prior authorization. Whether your plan needs a PCP referral or advance approval from Fidelis before your first session.
Visit limits. Whether your plan caps outpatient mental health visits in a year.
You get the number before you book. There is no charge for this and no obligation to schedule. We respond and verify your benefits within 24 hours of submitting the form.
Not Sure Which Fidelis Plan You Have?
We verify everything for you before your first session and explain your exact cost clearly. Tell us what is on your insurance card and we take it from there.
Why MMHC Is Different for Fidelis Members
One call settles the coverage question. Before your first session, our Therapy Coordinator (the staff member who personally handles your match and your benefits check) calls Fidelis and confirms your copay, your network status, and any referral or prior authorization requirement, then tells you the number before you book. A provider directory can tell you a practice is listed; it cannot tell you what you will pay.
New York State Department of Health wait-time standards give plans ten business days to produce an initial outpatient behavioral health appointment. MMHC first sessions are often available within 5 days of submitting the form.
If the first match is not right, we rematch you without restarting intake. The largest meta-analysis of therapy outcomes covered 295 studies and more than 30,000 patients (Flückiger et al., 2018). It found the alliance between client and therapist is one of the most consistent predictors of outcome, and the effect held for internet-delivered therapy. Fit is a clinical variable, and we treat it like one.
With 91+ therapists working across CBT, DBT, EMDR, ACT, and mindfulness-based approaches, we match you to a clinician who fits your concern, your schedule, and your plan. Every match is initiated and completed by our Therapy Coordinator; matching is human-made, not algorithmic.
Plus:
No in-network wait queue.
Insured clients are seen as quickly as self-pay clients.
Coverage continuity through plan changes.
If your insurance changes, we re-verify your benefits and you usually keep the same therapist.
Outcome-tracked care.
Every client completes the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 every four weeks, with milestone check-ins at 8, 16, and 52 weeks; results inform clinical supervision and case review.
Evening and weekend availability.
Sessions fit around work and family schedules.
How To Start Therapy With Fidelis
Verify your benefits.
Call 212-960-8626 or submit the contact form, with your Fidelis member ID handy. We respond and verify your Fidelis benefits within 24 hours, confirming coverage, copay, deductible status, and any referral requirement.
Get matched.
Our Therapy Coordinator schedules a free 15-minute screening call and matches you to a clinician based on your goals, personality, and clinical needs.
Book your first session.
First sessions are often available within 5 days of submitting the form, by secure video from anywhere in New York State.
Comprehensive Mental Health Conditions and Treatment Methods Covered
Our 91+ therapists are experienced in addressing a broad variety of mental health concerns and utilizing a wide variety of therapeutic modalities.
ANXIETY
DEPRESSION
SELF ESTEEM
TRAUMA
FAMILY ISSUES
COPING SKILLS
MINDFULNESS
CBT THERAPY
EMDR THERAPY
LIFE TRANSITIONS
OCD THERAPY
SOCIAL ANXIETY
MEN’S ISSUES
BIPOLAR DISORDER
DOMESTIC ABUSE
PHOBIAS
INTEGRATION
PORN ADDICTION
ADHD
BURNOUT ISSUES
DBT THERAPY
ANGER MANAGEMENT
PTSD
WORK STRESS
CAREER COUNSELING
GRIEF
MARRIAGE COUNSELING
EATING DISORDERS
SPIRITUALITY
YOUNG ADULTS
LGBTQ
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
SEXUAL ABUSE
PARENTING
SOMATIC THERAPY
WOMEN’S ISSUES
Questions To Ask Fidelis
To verify your benefits with Fidelis directly, call member services at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547), TTY 711, available 24/7. For help finding behavioral health care or reporting a provider-directory error, the same number reaches Fidelis’s Designated Behavioral Health Access Team at extension 9. Have your member ID card ready and ask:
Is Manhattan Mental Health Counseling in-network on my specific plan?
What is my copay or coinsurance for outpatient mental health therapy, CPT code 90837 (a 53-minute psychotherapy session)? For couples or family sessions, ask about CPT 90847.
Do I need a referral from my PCP to see a therapist?
Is prior authorization required for outpatient therapy sessions?
Are telehealth therapy sessions covered at the same cost-sharing as in-person visits?
Does my plan limit outpatient mental health visits per year?
If Fidelis’s answer and ours ever differ, tell us; we will re-verify with the plan before you book. Write down the date, the representative’s name, and the call reference number.
NYS-licensed clinicians
LMHC, LMHC-D
Outcome-tracked care
PHQ-9 & GAD-7 measures
HIPAA-secure video
Private, encrypted sessions
Human-led matching
Rematch anytime, free
What Fidelis Clients Say
4.0 on Google · 5,000+ clients since 2014 · verified reviews
Meet Some of Our Fidelis Therapists
License #D4643
Natalie is the founder of Manhattan Mental Health Counseling. Her treatment approach emphasizes the mind-body connection, combining experiential techniques with practical, results-oriented methods.
License #5190
Dr. Sandra Vazquez, guides individuals through complex trauma and mood challenges with a collaborative, culturally sensitive approach that fosters safety, trust, and empowerment, creating spaces for authentic growth and healing, particularly within BIPOC communities.
License #D10616
Sandra uses various therapeutic techniques, including EMDR, CBT, and Mindfulness-Based Therapy, to encourage healing and growth within a safe and empowering counseling environment.
Online Fidelis Therapists in New York Accepting New Patients
Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is a telehealth psychotherapy practice founded in 2014, serving clients ages 15 and up across New York State. The practice works with 91+ therapists, is in-network with Fidelis Care, and is accepting new patients. All sessions are held by secure, HIPAA-compliant video, and each client's Fidelis benefits are verified before the first session. There is no in-person option; you only need to be physically located in New York State during sessions.
MMHC is an online practice by design, delivering every session by secure video with the same outcome tracking, clinical supervision, and human-made matching throughout. For a fuller picture of how online therapy in New York works here, see our online therapy page.
Yes, we accept Fidelis, and we are taking new patients now. Because every session is online, you do not need a Fidelis therapist near you; you need one licensed in New York. From Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island to Long Island, Westchester, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, and Syracuse, you can see the same in-network team by secure video from any of New York's 62 counties, with evening and weekend availability. Rated 4.0 on Google, with 5,000+ clients served since 2014. You can meet our therapists before you ever submit a form.
Self-Pay and Out-of-Network
If your specific Fidelis plan line turns out to be one we cannot bill, we tell you during the verification call, before you book, and walk you through the options. Many plans include out-of-network benefits: we provide superbills (itemized receipts you can submit to your plan), and the reimbursement amount depends on your out-of-network benefits. Our self-pay rate is $175 per 53-minute session, billed per session with no subscription. The free 15-minute screening call is available either way.
If timely in-network behavioral health care is hard to find anywhere, Fidelis’s Designated Behavioral Health Access Team exists to help members locate care and to take access complaints, at 1-888-343-3547, extension 9. You can also search Fidelis’s network directly at fideliscare.org/find-a-doctor.
Ongoing 53-minute session
$175
15-minute screening call
Free
Superbills provided for out-of-network reimbursement.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t see your question here, contact our support team at 212-960-8626.
Ready to Get Started With a Fidelis Therapist in New York?
We are accepting Fidelis members across New York State. Submit the form and you will receive an email link to schedule a screening call; our intake team verifies your benefits, including your copay, before your first session.
In-Network with Fidelis Care
Servicing New York State Residents
100% Virtual Telehealth Sessions
91+ In-Network Therapists
5,000+ clients since 2014
4-Star Average Rating on Google Reviews
Prefer to talk? Call 212-960-8626
If You Are in Crisis
This page is not for emergencies. If you are thinking about harming yourself or someone else, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, free, 24/7, in English and Spanish) or call 911. Fidelis members can also reach the plan's 24/7 member services line at 1-888-343-3547. Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is an outpatient telehealth practice and does not provide emergency or crisis services. More options are on our emergency resources page.
Get Matched with a Fidelis Therapist
Clinically reviewed by Natalie Buchwald, LMHC-D, Founder and Founding Clinical Chair of Manhattan Mental Health Counseling and a licensed mental health counselor in New York State (NY license #D4643, verifiable through the New York State Office of the Professions). She completed a fellowship at the Karen Horney Institute.
Last reviewed: August 2026 by Steven Buchwald | Next Review: November 2026
References
Fidelis Care. Plans and member services. fideliscare.org
Fidelis Care. Medicaid Managed Care. fideliscare.org
NY State of Health. Essential Plan at a Glance (2026). info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov
NY State of Health. Essential Plan information. info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). cms.gov
N.Y. Insurance Law section 3217-h. Telehealth coverage and cost-sharing parity. newyork.public.law
Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., and Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 316-340. doi.org/10.1037/pst0000172
Fidelis Care. Behavioral Health Access (New York State Department of Health appointment wait-time standards; Designated Behavioral Health Access Team). fideliscare.org
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
Fidelis Care via PR Newswire (May 2026). Statewide health plan with more than 2.4 million members in New York State. prnewswire.com
A Note on Scope and Crisis Support
Note: This page is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. If you have persistent or concerning symptoms, consult a licensed medical professional.
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