Already booked and paid for a session privately? You can switch it to your private health insurance from your account, as long as the session is at least 5 working days away. Here is how it works.
If you have already booked and paid for a session privately, you can switch it to your private health insurance. We verify your cover with your insurer, and once it is confirmed we refund or credit the difference you paid.
Before you switch: check two things
Your cover
Call your insurer and ask three questions: is outpatient talking therapy covered, how many sessions a year you are allowed, and whether they need to pre-authorise the first session. If they do, ask for the authorisation or claim reference, because you will need it.
Your therapist
UK insurers reimburse HCPC-registered Clinical, Counselling and Educational Psychologists, and GMC-registered Psychiatrists. Look for the insurance badge on your therapist's profile. If your therapist is not insurance eligible, the insurance option will not appear.
How to switch
- Sign in and open your account, then go to Appointments.
- Find the session you want to switch and choose the insurance option.
- Add your insurance provider, your policy number, your member or subscriber ID, and the policy holder's details.
- Save a card on file as a backup. It is used only for anything your insurer does not cover, such as an excess or a shortfall.
Timing: 5 working days
You can switch a session only if it is at least 5 working days away (Monday to Friday, excluding UK bank holidays). We need that time to verify your cover with your insurer.
If your session is sooner, you can pay privately for that one and switch from your next session onwards.
What happens next
- The session is held as Insurance Pending while we verify your cover, usually within 5 working days.
- We email you the outcome. If your cover is confirmed, we refund or credit the private payment you made.
- If the claim is declined, your backup card is charged for the session at the self-funding rate, and we let you know.
Good to know
- Discovery calls cannot be switched: the £1 call is always paid by card. Insurance applies to therapy sessions.
- Switching does not change your therapist, your time, or the format of the session.
- You can follow the status of your claim at any time in your account, under Insurance Claims.
- If the insurance option is not showing, it is usually because the session is less than 5 working days away, or because your therapist is not insurance eligible. Contact us and we will check it for you.
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