Choosing Health Insurance for 2027? 5 Things to Check for Your Mental Health Coverage

By Dan Zomerlei, PhD, LMFT | Alliance Counseling Group

How to protect your therapy and psychiatric care, understand your costs, and avoid insurance surprises in Michigan.

Choosing a health insurance plan can feel overwhelming. Between premiums, deductibles, provider networks, and prescription coverage, there is a lot to consider. And if you or someone in your family receives counseling or psychiatric care, there are a few additional questions worth asking before you enroll.

At Alliance Counseling Group and AllianceRx, we want to help you make an informed decision about your mental health coverage for 2027.

The goal isn’t necessarily to find the cheapest plan. It’s to find a plan that provides the coverage you need, at a cost you understand, while helping you continue working with the professionals you trust.

Here are five important things to check before selecting your 2027 health insurance plan.

1. Know Your Exact Insurance Plan and Network

One of the most common sources of confusion is assuming that because a provider accepts an insurance company, they automatically accept every plan offered by that company.

Unfortunately, that’s not always true.

For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Priority Health, Aetna, and other insurers may offer several different plans with different provider networks, coverage rules, and costs.

The specific plan and network matter just as much as the insurance company.

If you receive insurance through your employer, ask your HR department for the exact names of the plans available to you, along with their Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC).

If you purchase insurance through Michigan’s Health Insurance Marketplace, compare the specific 2027 plans available through HealthCare.gov.

Don’t assume that the insurance plan you have in 2026 will offer identical benefits or provider access in 2027.

2. Confirm That Your Therapist or Prescriber Is In-Network

If you already have a therapist or psychiatric prescriber you value, this may be the most important step.

Before enrolling in a plan, we recommend checking your provider’s network participation in three ways:

1. Ask your provider’s office. Find out which specific 2027 plans and networks they expect to participate in.
2. Search the insurance company’s provider directory. Make sure you’re looking at the directory for the exact plan you’re considering, not just the insurance company in general.
3. Call the insurance company. Ask the behavioral health benefits department to confirm that your individual provider is in-network for the specific plan, practice location, and services you need.

Be sure to ask about the individual clinician, not just the group practice.

A counseling practice may participate with an insurance network while certain therapists or prescribers within that practice do not.

Helpful tip: Save a screenshot of the provider directory and record the date, representative’s name, and reference number for your call. These records may be useful if questions arise later.

Remember that even these steps cannot guarantee how every future claim will be processed, but they can substantially reduce uncertainty.

3. Check That Your Specific Mental Health Services Are Covered

Finding an in-network therapist is important, but it isn’t the only coverage question.

Different services may have different benefits, requirements, and out-of-pocket costs.

If you’re considering a plan, make sure you understand how it covers the care you expect to receive.

For counseling services, ask about:

• Individual therapy appointments, including 45- and 60-minute sessions
• In-person counseling versus virtual therapy
• Family or couples counseling
• Psychological evaluations or specialized testing
• Referral requirements or prior authorization

An important distinction: Couples counseling intended primarily to address relationship concerns may not be covered in the same way as medically necessary family psychotherapy for a diagnosed mental health condition.

For psychiatric and medication services, ask about:

• Initial psychiatric evaluations
• Follow-up medication management appointments
• Whether your specific prescribing clinician is in-network
• Coverage of your current medications
• Prescription copays, medication tiers, and prior authorization requirements

Even if your psychiatric prescriber participates with your insurance, that doesn’t necessarily mean your current medication will be covered at the same cost.

Before switching plans, check the new plan’s prescription drug list, sometimes called its formulary.

4. Compare Your Total Annual Cost — Not Just the Monthly Premium

It’s tempting to choose whichever health insurance plan has the lowest monthly premium.

But if you regularly attend therapy, see a psychiatric prescriber, or take medications, the lowest-premium plan may not be the least expensive option overall.

Here’s an example.

Imagine you’re comparing two hypothetical insurance plans:

This simplified example assumes the illustrated per-visit costs apply to all 24 visits and excludes other care, medications, and any additional deductible effects.

Although Plan B costs $100 more each month, someone attending therapy twice a month could potentially spend less over the course of a year.

That’s why we recommend evaluating your anticipated total healthcare expenses, including premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and prescriptions.

Also review the plan’s in-network out-of-pocket maximum. Remember, premiums and many noncovered or out-of-network expenses generally don’t count toward that maximum.

If you qualify for additional cost-sharing reductions through the Marketplace, compare eligible Silver plans carefully. Those reductions can lower deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Check out our cost calculator for more help.

Our recommendation: Think realistically about how often you expect to use your health insurance next year. A plan that works well for someone who rarely visits a doctor may not be the best choice for someone receiving regular mental health treatment.

5. Recheck Your Coverage When 2027 Begins

Even after you’ve selected a plan, there’s one final step that can help prevent problems.

Don’t assume your new insurance benefits will automatically be verified by your healthcare providers.

When your new coverage begins:

• Give your updated insurance information to both your counseling office and psychiatric prescribing office.
• Confirm that your first premium has been paid, if required.
• Ask your providers to recheck your benefits for the new year.
• Verify any changes to your copays, deductible, and medication coverage.
• Review your first Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to make sure your claims are being processed as expected.

Taking these steps in January may help you identify potential coverage concerns before they become larger financial surprises.

Important 2027 Changes for Michigan Mental Health Patients

There are several developments Michigan residents should be aware of when planning for the coming year.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Billing Changes

Beginning March 1, 2027, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan plans to change how certain services provided by limited-license behavioral health clinicians are reimbursed under commercial insurance plans.

These changes concern specific supervised, or incident-to, billing arrangements, particularly in professional office settings.

If you’re working with a limited-license therapist, we encourage you to speak with your counseling practice about whether these changes could affect your insurance coverage or continuity of care.

This does not mean that all therapy provided by limited-license clinicians will become unavailable or uncovered. The impact depends on the clinician, billing arrangement, location, and specific insurance plan.

Michigan Marketplace Open Enrollment

For Michigan residents purchasing insurance through HealthCare.gov, the 2027 open enrollment period runs from November 1, 2026, through January 15, 2027.

Important dates:

• November 1, 2026: Open enrollment begins.
• December 15, 2026: Deadline to select a plan for coverage beginning January 1.
• January 15, 2027: Open enrollment ends. Plans selected after December 15 generally begin February 1.

If you receive insurance through an employer, your enrollment dates may be different. Check with your HR department.

Medicare and Medicaid also have different enrollment and eligibility rules.

What If Your Current Therapist Isn’t In-Network?

Discovering that your current therapist isn’t listed as in-network can be discouraging, especially when you’ve developed a strong, trusting therapeutic relationship.

Before assuming you need to switch clinicians, consider these next steps.

First, confirm the information directly with both your provider’s office and the insurance company. Provider directories are not always completely up to date.

Next, ask whether the plan offers a network-gap exception, single-case agreement, or other option for continuing care when an appropriate in-network provider is unavailable.

Certain circumstances may also qualify for continuity-of-care protections, particularly when a provider leaves an insurance network during an ongoing course of treatment. These protections do not apply to every situation.

If continuing with your current provider is not possible, your practice may be able to help you explore another clinician, different coverage options, or self-pay arrangements.

Download Our Free 2027 Michigan Mental Health Insurance Guide

We’ve created a free resource to help you take these steps with confidence.

Our 2027 Michigan Mental Health Insurance Guide includes:

• A five-step checklist for comparing insurance plans
• Questions to ask your therapist, prescriber, and insurance company
• A practical worksheet for comparing annual costs
• A ready-to-use phone script for verifying your benefits
• Important Michigan enrollment dates and insurance changes
• Links to trusted government and insurance resources

[Download the Free 2027 Mental Health Insurance Guide]

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You can also watch our accompanying video explaining the five steps.

[Watch: Choosing 2027 Health Insurance? 5 Things to Check for Therapy & Medication]

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Your Mental Health Deserves a Place in Your Insurance Decision

Health insurance decisions affect much more than your monthly budget. They can influence your access to care, your relationships with trusted professionals, and your ability to receive support when you need it.

At Alliance Counseling Group and AllianceRx, we believe mental healthcare should be relationally accessible, responsive, and grounded in compassionate, evidence-based care.

Whether you’re currently receiving counseling or psychiatric services or simply want to prepare for the year ahead, we encourage you to make your mental health needs part of your insurance decision.

And if you have questions about whether your current clinician at Alliance participates with a plan you’re considering, please reach out to our team. We can help you identify the information you’ll need to verify with your insurance company.

Alliance Counseling Group

Serving Holland, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Byron Center, and clients throughout Michigan via telehealth.

Phone: (616) 222-0631

Website: https://www.alliancecounselinggroup.com

To be HOPE. For Change. For Good.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and does not constitute insurance, legal, tax, or financial advice. Insurance benefits, provider networks, reimbursement policies, and enrollment requirements may change. Always confirm your specific benefits directly with your insurance company before making enrollment decisions.