Online Therapy Covered by Healthfirst
An in-network Healthfirst therapist with openings this week, matched to what you're actually dealing with. We confirm your exact copay before your first session.
$0
what most Healthfirst members pay
Same week
start your therapy
5,000+
clients since 2014
Quick Answers About Healthfirst Therapy Coverage
- Does Healthfirst cover therapy in New York?Yes. Every Healthfirst plan includes outpatient mental health coverage, and federal parity law keeps any therapy limit no stricter than the plan's medical limits.
- Do you accept Healthfirst insurance?Yes. Manhattan Mental Health Counseling (MMHC) is in-network with Healthfirst and accepting new patients across New York State.
- How much does therapy cost with Healthfirst?Most of our Healthfirst clients pay $0 per session, and 99% pay $15 or less. We confirm your exact copay before your first session.
- How fast can I start therapy?Your first session is often within 5 days of submitting the form. Benefits verification comes first, so you start knowing your exact cost.
- Is Healthfirst the same as Medicaid?Sometimes. Healthfirst offers several plan types, and Medicaid Managed Care is one of them; on that plan, therapy is most likely $0.
- Can I do Healthfirst therapy online?Yes. New York insurance law bars Healthfirst from excluding a covered therapy service because it is delivered by telehealth, and your telehealth copay can be no higher than the in-person one. Every MMHC session is secure video, anywhere in New York State.
Healthfirst Covers Online Therapy and Mental Health
All Healthfirst members, individuals and dependent family plan members, are eligible for psychotherapy services under their Healthfirst insurance plan. Depending on your plan, a copay or deductible may apply; most of our Healthfirst clients pay $0 per session.
Under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, any limit Healthfirst places on therapy visits can be no stricter than its limits on comparable medical care. If your coverage comes through a New York employer group plan, the state's Timothy's Law also guarantees at least 20 outpatient mental health visits per year. In practice, you can see a Healthfirst therapist (one in-network with Healthfirst) weekly as long as your coverage is active and there is a medically necessary reason for your visits (medically necessary: care your plan considers required to treat a diagnosed condition).
We can check your benefits for you. Please call our office at 212-960-8626 or fill out the contact form below.
Does Healthfirst Cover Mental Health?
Yes. Healthfirst covers mental health therapy for its members, and for most of them it costs nothing per session. In our Q2 2026 billing data, 80.4% of MMHC's Healthfirst clients paid $0, and 99% paid $15 or less per session. The $0 to $15 amount is the copay (copay: the fixed fee you owe at each therapy visit). The deductible (deductible: what you would pay out of pocket before coverage starts) is usually waived for outpatient therapy, though some plans apply it, so we confirm yours before your first session.
If you have Healthfirst Medicaid Managed Care, you most likely pay $0, with no copay and no deductible.
Your Healthfirst Therapy Cost by Plan Type
Sessions at MMHC are 53 minutes and billed under CPT® code 90837 (CPT code: the billing code that identifies your session type). Couples and family sessions are billed under CPT code 90847.
Not Sure Which Healthfirst Plan You Have?
We verify everything before your first session and explain your exact cost clearly.
Why MMHC Is Different for Healthfirst Members
The real barrier to starting therapy is usually the unknown cost, so we remove it first. Before your first session, a Therapy Coordinator calls Healthfirst and confirms your exact copay and deductible status, a check that usually takes about 10 minutes. Every MMHC client has their exact cost confirmed before session one; the price you hear is the price you pay.
Fit drives outcomes. The largest meta-analysis of the therapeutic alliance reviewed 295 studies covering more than 30,000 patients (Flückiger et al., 2018). It found that the relationship between client and therapist is one of the strongest predictors of whether therapy works, online or in person. At MMHC, a clinician matches you based on your goals, personality, and clinical needs, and if the fit is wrong, you switch therapists without restarting intake.
You choose from a bench of 91+ therapists across the conditions and methods listed below, matched to your specific concern rather than to whoever has an opening. Your first session is often within 5 days of submitting the form.
Plus, for Healthfirst members specifically:
No in-network wait queue.
Healthfirst clients are scheduled as quickly as self-pay clients; insurance never puts you in a slower line.
Outcome-tracked care.
Progress is measured with the PHQ-9 for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety, two validated symptom measures, so you and your therapist can see change instead of guessing at it.
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 Healthfirst to Determine Your Coverage
To know the specifics of your plan, call the number on the back of your Healthfirst insurance card. You can also sign in to the Healthfirst member portal and check your benefits there. Healthfirst lists a phone line for each plan type on its contact page; the two most members use:
Healthfirst Member Services (Medicaid Managed Care and Child Health Plus)
Medicare Advantage plans
Questions to ask Healthfirst regarding your mental health coverage:
What Healthfirst Clients Say
4.0 on Google · 5,000+ clients since 2014 · verified reviews
Meet Some of Our Healthfirst 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 Healthfirst Therapists in New York Accepting New Patients
Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is a New York State psychotherapy practice, in-network with Healthfirst, and accepting new patients. Its 91+ therapists hold sessions by secure video across all of New York State, and the practice verifies each member's exact Healthfirst copay before the first session. MMHC is rated 4.0 on Google and has worked with 5,000+ clients since 2014.
Yes, we accept Healthfirst, and we are taking new patients now. Because every session is online, your zip code doesn't decide whether you can get care: the same therapists are available whether you're in Manhattan, Buffalo, or the Hudson Valley, with no commute and no waiting room. Tell us what you're dealing with, we verify your Healthfirst benefits, and a clinician matches you to a therapist in-network with your plan. There is no separate wait queue for insured clients, and your first session is often within 5 days of submitting the form.
Healthfirst is one of nine plans we accept; the full list is on our insurance page.
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 Healthfirst Therapist in New York?
Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is accepting Healthfirst members in New York. After you submit the form, you will receive an email with a link to schedule a screening call. We verify your copay before your first session.
Prefer to talk? Call 212-960-8626
Get Matched with a Healthfirst Therapist
This page was 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 (license #D4643). She oversees the clinical standards behind every MMHC page.
Last reviewed: July 2026 by Steven Buchwald | Next Review: January 2027
References
1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA).
https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/mental-health-parity-addiction-equity
2. Medicaid.gov. Parity: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits in Medicaid.
https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/behavioral-health-services/parity
3. New York State Office of the Attorney General. Mental Health Parity in New York (Timothy's Law report).
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/hcb_mental_health_parity_report.pdf
4. Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., & Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 316-340.
https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000172
5. Healthfirst. Contact Us (member services numbers by plan).
https://healthfirst.org/contact
6. Healthfirst. Member Portal.
https://member.healthfirst.org/
7. Healthfirst. Medicaid Managed Care Plans in NY.
https://healthfirst.org/medicaid-managed-care-plan
8. New York Insurance Law § 3217-h. Telehealth Delivery of Services.
https://newyork.public.law/laws/n.y._insurance_law_section_3217-h
Note: This page is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. If you have persistent or concerning symptoms, consult a licensed medical professional.
CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.