July 19, 2024

Why In-Network Therapist Matching is So Important

When a provider is in-network, it indicates that they accept a client’s health insurance plan. This signifies that the provider accepts reimbursement from the client’s insurance company, mitigating the need for the client to pay fully out-of-pocket for the provider’s services.

Are you curious to learn more about the importance of in-network matching when seeking a mental healthcare provider? 

When a health provider is in-network, it indicates that they accept a client’s health insurance plan. This signifies that the provider accepts reimbursement from the client’s insurance company, mitigating the need for the client to pay fully out-of-pocket for the provider’s services.

In-network matching is a process that we do here at Therify. We help your employees find therapists who accept the insurance that you offer them so that they can see therapists that are in-network.

Why is in-network matching so important?

Fabulous question! As we talked about in our newsletter this month, there are a few things to consider as a client considering going to therapy. 

  • What types of concerns are you experiencing that you want to explore in therapy? 
  • Do you have any mental health diagnoses already that you’d like to learn to manage? 
  • Are you seeking a mental health diagnosis for accommodations or for another purpose? 
  • Do you have any preferences for race, ethnicity, gender identity, LGBTQIA+ identity, age, or life experience of the therapist you’d want to see? 
  • Do you have a budget for how much you can spend on seeing a therapist? 
  • What are your scheduling constraints?

As clients explore the answers to those questions, they can begin their search for a provider. That’s where we at Therify come in. Employees of companies that partner with us can use our personalized provider matching to find a therapist that fits their needs and accepts their insurance. 

Anything else I should consider?

Continuity is one of the most important factors when it comes to quality care. With traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), folks can often only see a therapist for 3-6 sessions. Depending on the service,  sometimes they may have to switch providers for each session. 

Imagine opening up to one provider about something quite vulnerable, and then having to switch providers for the next session or stop seeing them when you were just starting to get somewhere. The thought may discourage some employees to pursue care. 

The necessity to switch providers can range from a mild inconvenience to a major challenge, depending on the goals that the client came to therapy with. For example, if a client comes to a provider wanting to change their relationship with substances and then has to switch providers partway through, this can lead to adverse effects. 

You’ve probably heard how hard finding a therapist who is affordable, available, and a good fit can be. This can be even more difficult if a client is trying to find a therapist while they're overwhelmed, depressed, or experiencing other mental health symptoms.

That’s why continuity of care is essential in the mental health world. 

Okay, so why Therify?

Therify is a unique online platform that matches employees with therapists that take their insurance. That way, employees can see qualified professionals in an ongoing way. 

We don’t like to brag, but we do see 4x higher engagement with our program than with traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). 94% of Therify users report a strong fit with their first in-network therapist, and employers can save up to $800 per employee thanks to lower out-of-network claims costs.

Take some time to reflect on how the mental health benefits are working at your company. Are they meeting the goals you set out to reach?