Does My Insurance Cover Telehealth Therapy?

Insurance coverage for telehealth therapy has expanded dramatically. Most major insurance carriers now cover speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy delivered via telehealth at the same reimbursement rates as in-person visits. All Care Therapies is contracted with 200+ health plans across California, Nevada, and Texas, and our team handles insurance verification and authorization so you can focus on getting care.

Medicare covers telehealth speech therapy and occupational therapy services. Coverage includes evaluations and ongoing treatment sessions conducted via real-time video. You must see a Medicare-enrolled provider (All Care Therapies is enrolled). Standard copay and deductible rules apply. Physical therapy via telehealth has more limited coverage under Medicare — most PT services are delivered in our clinic locations.

Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program) covers telehealth therapy services. Coverage includes speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Medi-Cal managed care plans (like Health Care LA IPA, Regal, and others) authorize therapy services through their standard process. In most cases, there is no copay for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Nevada Medicaid and Texas Medicaid also cover telehealth therapy services with similar terms.

Most commercial insurance plans — including Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, Humana, Anthem, and others — cover telehealth therapy. Coverage terms vary by plan. Some plans require a referral from your primary care physician. Some plans have specific telehealth copays (often the same as in-person). Prior authorization may be required depending on the plan and therapy type. Our credentialing team works with all major carriers and can verify your specific benefits before your first visit.

With an HMO plan (common in California), you typically need a referral from your primary care physician, and therapy is authorized through your medical group or IPA. The process is: physician referral → IPA authorization → therapy begins. With a PPO plan (common in Nevada and Texas), you may not need a referral and can often self-refer to therapy. Authorization requirements vary by plan. All Care Therapies works with both HMO and PPO plans and handles the authorization process for you.

Many insurance plans require prior authorization before therapy can begin. This means your insurance company (or IPA/medical group) must approve the therapy services before they will pay for them. There are two types: high-confidence authorizations (frequency-based) where treatment can start while the authorization is being processed, and standard authorizations where approval is needed before scheduling. Our team manages the entire authorization process — from submitting the request to tracking approval — so you don't have to.

If you don't have insurance or your plan doesn't cover the specific therapy you need, we offer self-pay options. Contact us at 818-894-2273 to discuss self-pay rates. We can also help you explore whether you qualify for Medi-Cal or other assistance programs.

The easiest way to verify your coverage is to contact us directly. Call 818-894-2273 or use the contact form on our website. Provide your insurance card information and we'll verify your benefits, check authorization requirements, and confirm your copay or out-of-pocket costs — typically within one business day.