Online Therapy Covered by Aetna

Yes. Aetna covers outpatient mental health treatment, including individual psychotherapy and, when medically necessary, couples and family therapy. Most plans require no referral for routine therapy.

Yes. Every therapist in the practice is in-network with Aetna, and we are accepting new Aetna patients for online therapy across New York State. Call 212-960-8626 or use the form below, and our Therapy Coordinator will verify your benefits and schedule your first session.

Yes. Under New York Insurance Law section 3217-h, Aetna cannot exclude a covered therapy service because it is delivered by telehealth. Your telehealth copay, coinsurance, or deductible must be at least as favorable as for the same service in person. All MMHC sessions are secure video, so you can attend from anywhere in New York State; you need to be physically located in New York during each session.

Online only. MMHC has no in-person appointments in Manhattan or anywhere else. Every session is a 53-minute secure video session with a therapist who is in-network with Aetna, available wherever you are in New York State.

Your Aetna copay depends on your plan. The average Aetna member at MMHC pays $20.25 per session, about 1 in 4 of our Aetna members pay $0, and about 9 in 10 pay $30 or less (Q2 2026 billing data). On many plans you owe only the copay from day one; high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) require you to meet the deductible first. We verify your exact copay before your first appointment, at no charge.

$20.25 per session for Aetna members at MMHC, based on our Q2 2026 billing data across 550 Aetna claims. This applies to a standard 53-minute session billed as CPT 90837. About 1 in 4 of our Aetna members pay $0, and about 9 in 10 pay $30 or less.

Aetna covers couples or family sessions as treatment for a diagnosed mental health condition. When one partner is the identified patient with a diagnosis such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD, sessions with both partners present are billed as family psychotherapy (CPT 90847) and covered when medically necessary. General relationship coaching without a clinical diagnosis is usually not covered. MMHC offers couples and family therapy, and during your intake call we confirm whether your plan will cover it.

No for most Aetna plans. You can start routine outpatient therapy directly with an in-network therapist, without a referral or pre-authorization. Some Aetna Student Health plans require a referral from your campus health center. Higher levels of care such as intensive outpatient programs can require prior authorization. We check your plan's rules when we verify your benefits.

Most Aetna plans do not cap the number of medically necessary therapy sessions. Federal parity law (the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act) requires plans that cover mental health care to treat its limits no more restrictively than medical ones. Some plans review continued care after a number of sessions, so coverage depends on ongoing medical necessity rather than a fixed annual cap. We verify your specific benefits before you start.

Yes. Aetna covers outpatient therapy for eating disorders with an in-network therapist. More intensive levels of care can require prior authorization and a higher benefit tier, which your plan's Summary of Benefits lists under inpatient or intensive outpatient mental health.

Yes. Therapy is a qualified medical expense (IRS Publication 502), so you can use HSA or FSA pre-tax dollars toward your Aetna copays, coinsurance, or deductible. MMHC provides itemized receipts on request.

Most new clients have their first session within a week, often within 5 days of reaching out. We respond and verify your Aetna benefits within 24 hours, and there is no separate wait queue for in-network clients.

Yes. Outpatient therapy is covered across Aetna plan types, including Choice POS II, PPO, HMO, Open Access, and student health plans. What changes by plan is your copay and deductible, which we verify before your first session.

No. Medicare Advantage mental health coverage works differently from commercial Aetna plans. See our Medicare Advantage therapy page for how that coverage works, or call us and we will verify your specific plan.

For in-network care, MMHC submits your Aetna claims for you; you pay only your copay or other member responsibility. Aetna then issues an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) showing how the claim processed. If the EOB differs from your pre-session estimate, contact us and our billing team will review the claim; depending on the issue, that can mean a correction, a resubmission, or an appeal through Aetna.

Your therapist reviews what brought you in, your history, and your goals, and together you agree on a starting plan. Every session is 53 minutes by secure video, billed to Aetna as CPT 90837, and most clients attend weekly.

The primary credential at MMHC is LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor). Some clinicians practice under qualified supervision as limited-permit holders, as New York law allows. You can ask for any clinician's exact credential and license status before booking, and verify any New York license through the New York State Office of the Professions.

MMHC's clinicians are Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) rather than psychologists, and all 91+ are in-network with Aetna for outpatient psychotherapy. An LMHC provides the same talk therapy a psychologist provides for most concerns, including CBT, DBT, EMDR, and IFS for anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, and ADHD. What we do not provide is psychological testing or medication management; if you need either, Aetna member services can locate an in-network provider and your MMHC therapist can coordinate with them.

No. MMHC is a psychotherapy practice and does not provide psychiatry, medication management, or psychological testing. If you need a medication evaluation, Aetna member services can help you find an in-network prescriber, and your MMHC therapist can coordinate care with them.

Yes. Because every session is secure video, your location does not limit your options. We see Aetna members in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens (including Glendale, Astoria, Forest Hills, and Flushing), the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, and everywhere else in New York State. You need to be physically located in New York during each session, and we match you on clinical fit rather than on distance.

Cancellation terms are part of the financial agreement you receive at intake, before any billable session. Insurance does not cover missed-session or late-cancellation fees, so any such charge is the client's responsibility. The current policy is posted on our cancellation page.