Does Health Insurance Pay For Marriage Counseling?

Health insurance typically does not cover marriage counseling, as most standard plans do not recognize relationship problems as medical issues. However, most insurance plans typically cover individual therapy for mental health issues. If a physician diagnoses you or your partner with a mental illness, your health insurance will likely not cover the cost of couples therapy. In cases where your health insurance plan does not cover your counseling service, there are other more accessible and affordable options such as online marriage counseling.

Couples counseling is not typically covered by insurance because “relationship issues” in itself is not a mental health diagnosis. Many health insurance plans include counseling benefits for you and your family, with some companies providing full or partial coverage. Medicare Part B pays a portion of marital and family counseling costs to treat mental health, so in some cases, insurance providers do cover marriage counseling under mental health benefits, while in others, they may not.

Marriage counseling can be covered by health insurance, but typically only if you or your partner has a diagnosed mental health condition for which couples therapy is covered. Insurance is not typically required to cover marriage counseling under the Affordable Care Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and other laws.

In summary, insurance coverage for marriage counseling depends on your insurance provider, policy, and coverage. Some insurance plans may offer coverage for counseling services, but it is essential to check your plan to determine if it covers therapy services.