Online Therapy Covered by Healthfirst
$0 - $25
average copay range
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5,000+
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Oscar Health Covers Online Therapy and Mental Health
All Oscar Health members in New York have mental health coverage. Therapy is treated as an essential health benefit, which means it’s covered under every Oscar plan at the same level as your medical care. Oscar plans also comply with the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, meaning behavioral health benefits cannot be more restrictive than medical benefits. Oscar’s behavioral health benefits in New York are administered by Optum Behavioral Health, an arrangement confirmed since January 1, 2017. When you search for an in-network therapist with your Oscar plan, you’re searching the Optum provider network. MMHC is in that network.
We have 91+ clinicians who have served more than 5,000 New Yorkers since 2014, with a 4.0 Google rating. There’s no preset annual session limit. You should be allowed to see an in-network MMHC therapist on a weekly basis as long as your Oscar coverage is active and there is a medically necessary reason for your visits.
There's no preset annual session limit. You should be allowed to see an in-network MMHC therapist on a weekly basis as long as your Oscar coverage is active and there is a medically necessary reason for your visits.
We can check your benefits for you. Please call our office at 212-960-8626 or fill out the contact form below.
Does Oscar Health Cover Mental Health?
Yes. Every Oscar Health plan in New York covers mental health and substance use treatment as essential health benefits, including outpatient psychotherapy, psychiatric evaluations, and virtual behavioral health visits at the same cost-sharing level as medical care.
Coverage for therapy varies from one Oscar plan to another. Most plans have a fixed copay per session, with the deductible waived for behavioral health. Some plans do not waive the deductible. With an MMHC Oscar therapist, your therapy sessions will likely cost between $0 and $25 per session. The $0–$25 range is the copay (the fixed amount you owe at each visit).
With a Healthfirst therapist, your therapy sessions will likely cost between $0 - $30 per session, after you meet your deductible. The $0 - $30 amount is the co-pay (the fixed amount that you owe at each therapy visit). You likely have a plan that waives the deductible for psychotherapy. If that is the case, you will be responsible for any applicable Healthfirst copay.
Mental Health Conditions and Treatment Methods Covered by Oscar at MMHC
Our 91+ therapists are experienced in addressing a broad variety of mental health concerns and utilizing a wide variety of therapeutic modalities, all covered by your Oscar Health insurance.
ANXIETY
DEPRESSION
SELF ESTEEM
TRAUMA
FAMILY ISSUES
COPING SKILLS
MINDFULNESS
CBT THERAPY
EMDR THERAPY
LIFE TRANSITIONS
OCD THERAPY
SOCIAL ANXIETY
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
MEN’S ISSUES
BIPOLAR DISORDER
DOMESTIC ABUSE
PHOBIAS
INTEGRATION
PORN ADDICTION
Questions to Ask Oscar to Determine Your Coverage
To know more about the specifics of your plan, call the number on the back of your Oscar Health insurance card. You can also sign-in to the Oscar member portal and check your benefits there. Oscar Health members can call one of the following numbers for information on Oscar mental health coverage:
Questions to ask Oscar regarding your mental health coverage:
What is my copay for mental health outpatient services, specifically in connection with codes 90834 and 90837?
Is there a session cap per year?
Is the deductible waived for behavioral health?
Is Manhattan Mental Health Counseling in the Optum Behavioral Health network for my plan?
What Oscar Behavioral Health Benefits Typically Include
Benefit Category
Covered Under Oscar Plans
Individual outpatient psychotherapy (CBT, EMDR, IFS)
Yes, covered as essential health benefit
Teletherapy / online therapy sessions
Yes, same copay as in-person visits
Psychiatric evaluation
Yes, via Optum network
Group therapy
Yes, plan-dependent
Substance use disorder counseling
Yes, essential health benefit parity
Oscar Plan Copay Ranges
Oscar Plan
Copay Range & Details
Oscar Simple Gold
typically a flat $10 copay per session regardless of deductible status
Oscar Simple Secure
first three sessions at $0 for eligible members
Oscar Gold & Platinum Plans
copays generally range from $10 to $25 per session; deductible is typically waived for behavioral health
Oscar Bronze & Silver Plans
copay or coinsurance applies after deductible is met
Oscar Chronic Care Plans
$0 behavioral health visits
To verify your exact copay and deductible for behavioral health services, call the member services number on the back of your Oscar insurance card or sign in at hioscar.com.
Members on Oscar's Chronic Care Plan receive $0 behavioral health visits, and Oscar's 2024 Impact Report notes that integrated behavioral and chronic care can reduce member out-of-pocket costs by 25% or more.
Why Finding an In-Network Oscar Therapist in NYC Is Harder Than It Should Be
Understanding your Oscar benefits is one thing. Actually using them is harder, and the data explains why.
According to the HRSA State of the Behavioral Health Workforce (2025), the national average wait time for a behavioral health appointment is 48 days, and 6 in 10 psychologists are not accepting new patients. New York City faces some of the most acute supply constraints in the country due to population density, sustained post-COVID demand, and high provider attrition across the behavioral health sector.
That gap has structural roots. The NYC Council’s Mental Health Roadmap documented 30 to 40% vacancy rates across the city’s behavioral health sector following COVID-19. The NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene’s first-ever comprehensive mental health report (2024) found that 18% of adult New Yorkers have been diagnosed with anxiety and 14% reported serious psychological distress as recently as 2022, demand that far outstrips available in-network supply.
This is precisely the problem MMHC is built to solve. Rather than directing you to a directory to search alone, we match you directly with a licensed clinician and confirm your Oscar coverage before your first session.
Ready to start therapy? We can verify your coverage and copay for you in 10 minutes.
Seamless Rematch
If you decide you don’t want to proceed with your therapist, we will match you with another therapist free of charge. No re-verification, no new intake, no lost progress.
Why MMHC Is Different for Oscar Members
If you’ve ever used an insurance directory to find a therapist, you know the pattern. You call ten providers, three call back, two have openings, and you settle for the closest match. The standard process works against you.
MMHC operates differently. We match you with a clinician based on your concerns, your preferred modality, and your schedule. No waitlist. Pre-screening within a few days. Same-week therapy available. And if after your first or second session you feel the fit isn’t right, our Seamless Rematch Policy matches you with a different MMHC clinician at no additional friction. No re-verification, no new intake, no lost progress.
For Oscar members navigating a crowded and often opaque Optum directory, this replaces the search-alone model with a supported matching process. You don’t have to figure it out alone.
What Types of Therapy Are Available for Oscar Health Members at MMHC
All therapy at MMHC is delivered via HIPAA-compliant telehealth, covered by Oscar at the same copay as in-person visits. According to the New York Health Foundation and Manatt (2024), NYC and mid-Hudson area residents are the highest telehealth users in New York State, and psychological evaluation and therapy is the single most common telehealth service delivered statewide. Virtual therapy is the standard of behavioral health care in New York.
Our therapists are licensed or working under licensed supervision in New York State and specialize in evidence-based modalities aligned with 2026 clinical standards for urban behavioral health populations.
Anxiety and Stress Management
For high-functioning New York professionals managing work pressure, burnout, relationship stress, or generalized anxiety, MMHC offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and somatic-informed approaches. According to the NYC DOHMH State of Mental Health (2024), anxiety is the most prevalent diagnosed mental health condition among adult New Yorkers at 18%.
Depression and Life Transitions
MMHC therapists are trained in evidence-based depression treatment for young adults navigating career changes, relocation, grief, and major life transitions. The NYS Office of Mental Health (2025) reports that 7.92% of New York State adults experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. Early intervention and a strong therapeutic alliance are the most clinically validated paths to recovery.
Trauma-Informed Therapy (EMDR and IFS)
For members processing trauma, complex PTSD, or developmental wounds, MMHC offers Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS), two of the most evidence-supported trauma modalities in the 2026 clinical landscape.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy
MMHC provides identity-competent, affirming care for LGBTQ+ members navigating identity, relationship dynamics, family of origin issues, and minority stress. Our clinicians are licensed or working under licensed supervision in New York State.
The Research: Why Therapist Match Quality Matters More for Oscar Members in Virtual Therapy
The Seamless Rematch Policy isn’t a marketing line. It’s a response to specific clinical research on why virtual therapy makes the right initial match more important.
A landmark meta-analysis of 295 studies covering more than 30,000 patients (Flückiger et al., 2018) found that therapeutic alliance is one of the most consistent predictors of treatment success across all modalities, countries, and patient populations.
In telehealth specifically, a 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis in Clinical Psychology Review (Aafjes-van Doorn et al.) found that while therapeutic alliance predicts outcomes in virtual therapy, the effect is somewhat weaker than in person, suggesting that getting the right initial match is even more important when therapy is delivered online. ACORN Collaboration data confirms that therapist characteristics, not patient characteristics, account for the largest share of alliance quality variance. Which therapist you see matters more than who you are as a patient.
For Oscar members navigating the Optum directory alone, the research argues for a supported matching process with a no-friction rematch option—exactly what MMHC provides.
How to Book Your First Session With Oscar Insurance
Booking with MMHC is fast. The NYS Department of Financial Services 10 business day appointment access mandate (effective July 1, 2025) requires all insurers, including Oscar, to ensure timely behavioral health appointment access. Booking directly with MMHC is the most reliable path to meeting that window, and most Oscar members are pre-screened within a few days.
Submit your contact form
Select Oscar Health as your insurance.
Schedule a screening call
You’ll receive an email with a link to book a brief screening call at your convenience.
- Match with a licensed clinician
Based on your presenting concerns, preferred modality (CBT, EMDR, IFS, somatic), and scheduling availability, we match you to an MMHC therapist best suited to your needs.
Attend your first session virtually
All sessions are conducted via secure, HIPAA-compliant video. No commute. No waiting room. Your session is covered by your Oscar behavioral health benefit.
- Seamless Rematch if needed
If the fit is not right, we rematch you without restarting the process.
Does Manhattan Mental Health Counseling Accept Oscar Health Insurance?
Yes. All MMHC therapists are in-network with Oscar Health Insurance in New York. Because Oscar’s behavioral health benefits are administered through Optum Behavioral Health, MMHC is a participating provider within the Optum network available to Oscar members in the New York metropolitan area, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.
Caring, professional therapists dedicated to improving our clients' well-being
Frequently Asked Questions: Oscar Health Insurance and Therapy in NYC
Get Started Today
Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is accepting new Oscar Health Insurance members in New York. After you submit the form below, you will receive an email with a link to schedule a screening call at your convenience. Our intake team will verify your Oscar benefits, including your copay and deductible, before your first session.
Provider Status: In-Network with Oscar Health Insurance (via Optum Behavioral Health) | Accepted Plans: Oscar Individual & Family, Oscar Small Group | Modality: 100% Virtual / Telehealth, HIPAA-Compliant | Service Area: New York State, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island | Clinician Licensure: All clinicians are licensed or working under licensed supervision in New York State | Practice History: 5,000+ clients served since 2014, 4.0 Google rating, 91+ clinicians