Quick Answers About EmblemHealth Therapy Coverage
Do you take EmblemHealth insurance?
Yes. Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is in-network with EmblemHealth and accepting new EmblemHealth patients across New York State.
Are GHI and HIP the same as EmblemHealth?
Yes. GHI and HIP are the two plan families EmblemHealth operates, so a GHI therapist, a HIP therapist, and an EmblemHealth therapist are the same in-network care.
Does EmblemHealth cover therapy in New York?
Yes. EmblemHealth plans include outpatient mental health benefits, and federal parity law keeps any therapy limit no stricter than the plan's medical limits.
How much does therapy cost with EmblemHealth?
Most of our EmblemHealth clients pay $0 to $25 per session. We confirm your exact number in about 5 minutes, before your first session.
Do you have EmblemHealth psychiatrists?
MMHC provides psychotherapy with in-network EmblemHealth therapists; we do not prescribe medication. If you need a psychiatrist or medication management, Carelon Behavioral Health at 888-447-2526 (TTY 711) can point you to in-network prescribers, and therapy at MMHC can run alongside that care.
Can I do EmblemHealth therapy online?
Yes. New York insurance law bars EmblemHealth 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.
Therapists That Take EmblemHealth Insurance: How It Works at MMHC
EmblemHealth members, individuals and dependent family plan members, are eligible for psychotherapy services under their EmblemHealth plan. Depending on your plan, a copay, coinsurance, or deductible may apply; we confirm your exact cost before your first session.
Under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, any limit EmblemHealth 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 an EmblemHealth therapist (one in-network with your EmblemHealth plan) 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). About 1 in 4 New York City adults experiences a mental health disorder in a given year, and outpatient therapy is the standard covered treatment for most of them.
We can check your benefits for you. Please call our office at 212-960-8626 or fill out the contact form below.
About EmblemHealth
EmblemHealth is a New York health insurer formed by the combination of GHI (Group Health Incorporated) and HIP (Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York), and it operates both as its plan families today. When you search for a GHI therapist or a HIP therapist, you are searching for an EmblemHealth therapist. EmblemHealth's plans include GHI and HIP commercial coverage along with Medicare and Medicaid offerings, and the carrier's name is sometimes written as Emblem Health. Its behavioral health benefits are administered by Carelon Behavioral Health, so a Carelon-listed provider and an EmblemHealth-covered therapist are the same in-network care. MMHC treats New York members only.
Your EmblemHealth Therapy Cost by Plan Family
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.
What We Verify Before Your First Session
When our Therapy Coordinator calls EmblemHealth on your behalf, usually about 5 minutes, we confirm six things and put them in writing:
- 1 Your copay for outpatient psychotherapy under CPT code 90837
- 2 Your coinsurance percentage, if your plan uses one
- 3 Your deductible status: the amount and how much of it you have met this plan year
- 4 Your network status with the specific clinician we are matching you to
- 5 Whether your plan requires a referral or prior authorization
- 6 Any session cap or plan-specific rule on outpatient mental health visits
You see all six before you commit to anything.
Not Sure Which EmblemHealth Plan You Have?
We verify everything for you before your first session and explain your exact cost clearly.
Why MMHC Is Different for EmblemHealth 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 EmblemHealth and confirms your exact copay, coinsurance, and deductible status, a check that usually takes about 5 minutes, and puts your estimated cost in writing. 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 EmblemHealth members specifically:
- No in-network wait queue. EmblemHealth 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.
How to Get Started With EmblemHealth Coverage
- 1 Verify your EmblemHealth coverage (about 5 minutes). Call our Therapy Coordinator at 212-960-8626 or fill out the contact form. We check your behavioral health benefits, your copay, and your network status, at no cost, and put your estimated cost in writing before you commit.
- 2 Get matched with the right therapist. We talk through what brings you in, then match you with an EmblemHealth therapist whose training and style fit your goals. If the fit is off, you rematch without restarting intake.
- 3 Start therapy, often within 5 days. We schedule your first online session at a time that works for you, and you build from there in consistent weekly sessions.
Questions to Ask EmblemHealth to Determine Your Coverage
To know the specifics of your plan, call the number on the back of your EmblemHealth member ID card, or reach Carelon Behavioral Health, the partner that administers EmblemHealth behavioral health benefits:
EmblemHealth behavioral health benefits are administered by Carelon — a Carelon-listed provider is the same in-network care.
Questions to ask about your mental health coverage:
- 1 What is my copay or coinsurance for outpatient mental health services, specifically for CPT code 90837? (the code MMHC bills for a standard 53-minute session; couples and family sessions bill under 90847)
- 2 Is there a session cap per year? (federal parity law keeps any limit no stricter than your plan's medical limits, but ask to know for certain)
- 3 Does my deductible apply to outpatient therapy, and how much of it have I met this year?
- 4 Do I need a referral or prior authorization for outpatient psychotherapy?
What EmblemHealth Clients Say
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Meet Some of Our EmblemHealth Therapists
Natalie Buchwald, LMHC-D
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.
Dr. Sandra Vazquez, LMHC
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.
Sandra Swartwout, LMHC-D
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 EmblemHealth Therapists in New York Accepting New Patients
Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is a New York State psychotherapy practice, in-network with EmblemHealth, 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 EmblemHealth copay before the first session. MMHC is rated 4.0 on Google and has worked with 5,000+ clients since 2014.
Yes, we accept EmblemHealth, 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, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Buffalo, or the Hudson Valley, with no commute and no waiting room. Tell us what you're dealing with, we verify your EmblemHealth 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.
EmblemHealth is one of thirteen plans we accept; the full list is on our insurance page.
EmblemHealth Therapy FAQ
If you don't see your question here, contact our support team at 212-960-8626.
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{{ faq.icon }}Ready to Get Started With an EmblemHealth Therapist in New York?
Manhattan Mental Health Counseling is accepting EmblemHealth members in New York. After you submit the form below, you will receive an email within 24 hours with a link to schedule a screening call at your convenience. Our intake team will verify your EmblemHealth benefits, including your copay, before your first session.
- ✓In-Network with EmblemHealth
- ✓Servicing New York State Residents
- ✓100% Virtual Telehealth Sessions
- ✓91+ In-Network Therapists
- ✓5000+ clients since 2014
- ✓4-Star Average Rating on Google Reviews
Prefer to talk? Call 212-960-8626
Thank you!
Check your email for a link to book a screening call. We'll verify your EmblemHealth benefits before your first session.
Get Matched with an EmblemHealth 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
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). cms.gov
- New York State Office of the Attorney General. Mental Health Parity in New York (Timothy's Law report). ag.ny.gov
- New York Insurance Law § 3217-h. Telehealth Delivery of Services. newyork.public.law
- 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. doi.org/10.1037/pst0000172
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (2024). The State of Mental Health of New Yorkers. nyc.gov
- EmblemHealth. Talking to Someone (behavioral health resources; Carelon Behavioral Health 888-447-2526, TTY 711). emblemhealth.com
- EmblemHealth. Find a Doctor (provider directory). emblemhealth.com/find-a-doctor
- American Medical Association. CPT (Current Procedural Terminology). ama-assn.org
Note: This page is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. If you have persistent or concerning symptoms, consult a licensed medical professional. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7).
CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.