Direct Billing for Counselling in Langley & Vancouver
Many of our counsellors can bill your insurance provider directly. Depending on your plan, that can mean paying only the portion your plan does not cover, or sometimes nothing at all, instead of paying the full fee up front and waiting to be reimbursed.
We can currently bill many major Canadian insurance providers, including Manulife, Canada Life, Sun Life, Desjardins and GreenShield. Direct billing is available for in-person sessions at our Langley and Vancouver offices, by phone, and for online sessions across BC and Alberta.
What Direct Billing Means
With direct billing, we submit the claim for your session to your insurance provider on your behalf. If your plan covers the full session fee, there is nothing to pay at your appointment. If your plan covers part of the fee, you will pay the remaining portion. A few plans and programs work a little differently: they set a specific rate for each session and cover the full amount. In these cases, there is nothing for you to pay at the time of your appointment.
Without direct billing, you pay the full session fee at your appointment and we give you an official receipt to submit to your insurer for reimbursement. Both routes end in the same place. Direct billing simply means less paperwork and less money out of pocket on the day.
How much of each session is covered, and how many sessions per year, depends on your individual plan. Your insurer or your plan booklet can confirm the details, and we are happy to help you make sense of them.
How It Works at Lavender
To get started with direct billing, you’ll first choose a counsellor who is registered with your insurance provider’s billing network. We’ll then collect the required personal and insurance information and have you complete the necessary consent form(s).
Check your provider
Look for your insurance provider in the list below, or use the Direct Billing filter on our team page to see it matched to counsellors right away. Double check your plan covers a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) or a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC).
Choose your counsellor
Each counsellor’s profile lists the providers they can bill directly. Book with any counsellor whose list includes your provider.
We submit the claim
Bring your policy and member numbers to your first session, along with the name of your insurance provider. Review and complete the necessary consent form(s) authorizing us to submit claims.
Your plan determines your coverage amount. We collect the balance from you directly.
Insurance Providers We Can Bill Directly
We can currently submit claims directly to the following providers. Which providers apply to your session depends on the counsellor you book with, so check their profile or use the team page filter. You can also select any provider below to see the counsellors who can bill it.
Pacific Blue Cross: We are in the process of registering with Pacific Blue Cross and hope to offer direct billing for PBC plans in the future. Because direct billing is still new to counselling professionals, the process is not yet as streamlined as you may have experienced with your dentist, and it can take in excess of 30 business days to register a clinician. In the meantime, PBC clients receive an official receipt after each session to submit for reimbursement.
This list keeps growing as more insurance billing networks take on counselling. If your provider is not listed, you can still use your coverage by submitting our receipt for reimbursement.
See Who Direct Bills Your Plan
On our team page, choose your insurance provider under the Direct Billing filter and you will see every counsellor who can bill it, alongside their availability, areas of focus and fees.
Direct Billing Questions, Answered
Is counselling covered by insurance in BC?
Many extended health benefit plans cover counselling with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) or Registered Social Worker (RSW). Plans differ in which designations they cover, how much they pay per session and the yearly maximum, so it is worth checking your plan booklet or asking your insurer which designations are included.
Does MSP cover counselling?
No. BC’s Medical Services Plan does not cover counselling in private practice. Most of our clients use extended health benefits through work or a family member’s plan, or pay privately. Some of our counsellors also offer reduced rates, which you can find with the Fee filter on our team page.
Do all Lavender counsellors offer direct billing?
Not yet. Counsellors register with each billing network individually, so direct billing depends on who you book with. Each counsellor’s profile page lists the providers they can bill, and the Direct Billing filter on our team page shows you everyone who can bill your provider. More of our counsellors are registering all the time.
What if my insurance provider is not listed?
You can still use your coverage. You pay for your session and we give you an official receipt with everything your insurer needs. You submit it through your provider’s app or portal and they reimburse you according to your plan.
Do you direct bill Pacific Blue Cross?
Not yet. We are working through Pacific Blue Cross’s provider registration process now. Until that is complete, PBC clients pay at their session and submit our receipt for reimbursement, which PBC handles through its member portal.
How much of my session will be covered?
That depends entirely on your plan. Some plans cover the full session fee, others cover a set amount per session or per year. Your insurer can tell you exactly what your plan includes. With most plans, anything not covered is simply paid at the time of your session. Some plans and programs instead set a rate that covers the session in full, so there is nothing extra to pay.
Does direct billing work for online sessions?
Yes. Direct billing works the same way whether you meet your counsellor in person at our Langley or Vancouver office, online, or by phone. Our Langley office also serves nearby communities including Surrey, Cloverdale, Aldergrove and Abbotsford, and online sessions are available across BC and Alberta.
Not Sure What Your Plan Covers?
Insurance language can be confusing. If you are not sure whether your plan covers counselling or how direct billing would work for you, reach out and we will help you figure it out. No pressure, no obligation.