How to Use Your Tricare Benefit for Online Therapy
Navigating Tricare
If you are someone who has Tricare for health insurance, you know first-hand that navigating the world of Tricare can often be confusing and frustrating. While Tricare provides great benefits for military members and their dependents, it can be really annoying trying to figure out what Tricare will and will not cover – and this is speaking as someone who has Tricare and also takes Tricare insurance in their online therapy practice!
Can I Use My Tricare Benefits to Talk to an Online Therapist?
One of the most common questions that have been asked many times throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is “Does Tricare cover online therapy?” And here’s the answer: Yes! Yes, Tricare does cover online therapy and counseling. Tricare will provide coverage for you to see a licensed counselor or therapist through telehealth, but not through a platform like Talkspace or Betterhelp.
Now, how you utilize your online therapy benefit with Tricare will depend upon two things: the type of Tricare plan you are enrolled in and the type of Tricare provider you are seeing. Let’s break this down to help make the process as clear as possible.
There are two terms to understand as we work through how to use your Tricare benefits for online therapy:
In-Network Tricare Provider:
This term refers to an online therapist who is contracted directly with Tricare.
Non-Network Tricare Provider:
This term refers to an online counselor who is not contracted directly with Tricare but has an agreement with Tricare to still work with beneficiaries.
You don’t need to worry too much about the details of these different types of therapists as providers will know this information themselves and be able to communicate this to you. You will just want to be aware of these two different types of providers as you figure out how your Tricare benefits work for accessing online counseling.
Just keep in mind as you read through these details that the most important thing to remember is that you can see an online therapist with your Tricare benefit!
Active Duty Service Members
If you are an active duty service member (ADSM), in order to have your benefit covered by Tricare, you will need to get a referral from your Primary Care Manager (PCM) to see a therapist. Whether you see that counselor in-person or using telehealth doesn’t matter, but Tricare requires all ADSMs to obtain a referral for therapy services outside of the military base.
The only way around having to obtain a referral as an ADSM is to not use your Tricare benefit. In doing this, you can see anyone without a referral, but you will be subject to paying whatever the provider’s fee is for the sessions. By using your Tricare benefit and having that referral, you have zero out-of-pocket expense as an ADSM if you see an online therapist.
Tricare Prime: In-Network Provider
If you have are a dependent with Tricare Prime, you are not required to have a referral to be able to start working with an online therapist. You can begin seeing an in-network Tricare provider immediately, without having to wait for any kind of authorization. There is no cost for you to see an in-network provider for online therapy.
Tricare Prime: Non-Network Tricare Provider
When you see a non-network Tricare provider, you have two different options for how you can use your Tricare insurance to cover your online therapy:
The first option is to use what Tricare calls the point-of-service (POS) option, which means you don’t need a referral to begin seeing this provider. You will have to meet your yearly deductible and then after your deductible is met, you will be responsible for 50% of the cost for the session. Here’s an example: Let’s say Tricare will pay $100 per session. If your yearly deductible is $300, you will pay $100 for each of your first three appointments. After that, your deductible will have been met, and then you will be responsible for paying $50 per session.
The second option is to go to your PCM and ask them to put in a referral to Tricare to see the specific online therapist you want to work with. Once the referral has been authorized and approved, you can begin seeing that online therapist and there will be $0 out-of-pocket for your online sessions.
Tricare Select: In-Network Tricare Provider
With Tricare Select, you do not need any kind of referral or authorization to see an online therapist. You will have to meet your yearly deductible first, and once that deductible is met, you will only have a small copay for each session. At the time of this writing, the copay is $34, but be sure to verify your own benefits on the Tricare website.
Tricare Select: Non-Network Tricare Provider
Just as if you were seeing an in-network provider, you still have to meet your yearly deductible before Tricare will cover your online therapy sessions. Once the deductible has been met, you will then be responsible for 20% of the cost of the appointment. For example, if Tricare covers sessions at $100, you will be responsible for 20% of that cost which is $20. So, you will pay $20 per session.
What Are You Waiting For? Use Your Tricare Benefits for Online Therapy Now
Hopefully I haven’t lost you in the weeds of all these details, but the bottom line to always remember is you absolutely can see an online counselor or therapist with your Tricare benefits. Whether you see an in-network or non-network Tricare provider will help you determine how your Tricare benefits will work for online therapy.
If you are ready to find an online therapist, basic searches like “online therapist near MacDill Airforce Base” or “online counseling for Tricare in New Orleans” or “online therapy Fort Carson” will help you find therapists who accept Tricare and are able to begin working with you for online therapy.
Begin Online Therapy that Accepts Tricare in Hawaii, Louisiana, or Colorado
Even though starting therapy can be intimidating, I am happy to support you in receiving the support you deserve. I would be happy to use my experience from supporting clients in Colorado, Louisiana, and Hawaii to help you address the issues that matter to you most. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:
Schedule a free 15-minute consult via phone or video
Start healing with the help of online therapy!
Other Services Offered with Ashley Comegys, LCSW
I offer a variety of services for women living in Colorado, Hawaii, and Louisiana. I provide therapy for anxiety, online postpartum depression treatment, online postpartum support, and online depression treatment. In addition, I also offer online grief counseling for women, online therapy for military spouses, and online trauma treatment for women. Visit my blog or about page to learn more today!