Insurance
Insurance and reimbursement
How reimbursement actually works at Saalvio
- Your card on file is billed after the session ends. Saalvio is not in-network with any insurer. We do not bill directly, prepay, or pre-authorize. Once your session ends, your card is charged at the rate you and your therapist agreed on.
- We email you a receipt right after payment. The receipt names your therapist, their professional designation (RP or RSW), their registration body, their registration number, the session date, and the amount paid. That is what insurers ask for.
- You submit the receipt to your plan. Most carriers accept receipts through an app or member portal. Reimbursement typically arrives within 5 to 10 business days.
- Your plan reimburses the eligible portion. Plans reimburse a percentage of the eligible fee up to an annual maximum. Anything above that is yours to cover. Many clients use a Health Spending Account (HSA) to close that gap, or pair an HSA with their extended plan.
We say "typically reimbursable" rather than "covered" because every plan is different. Two colleagues at the same employer can have different mental health benefits in Canada based on their tier. Always check your plan booklet, or call the number on the back of your benefits card before assuming what your plan will pay.
Carriers we have working details for
These are the carriers we hear about most from Saalvio clients. The note beside each carrier is a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific plan terms are the source of truth.
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Manulife
Major extended health carrier
One of Canada's largest carriers. Most plans reimburse registered psychotherapy and registered social work. Some require psychologist-level coverage, which does not apply to our team. Check whether your booklet lists "Manulife psychotherapy coverage" or "paramedical" as a separate line item.
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Sun Life
Major extended health carrier
Sun Life psychotherapy coverage typically sits under a paramedical maximum alongside physiotherapy and massage. Confirm whether your plan names Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and Registered Social Worker (RSW) as eligible providers, as some older Sun Life group plans do not.
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Canada Life
Major extended health carrier
Following the absorption of Great-West Life and London Life, most legacy plans now run under the Canada Life brand. Canada Life psychotherapy coverage is commonly listed under mental health benefits. If your card still shows a legacy brand, the claims portal is now Canada Life.
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Green Shield Canada
Major extended health carrier
Green Shield typically reimburses registered psychotherapy and registered social work. They also administer many federal and provincial public-sector plans, including PSHCP for federal employees and OPSEU benefits, on behalf of those programs.
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Pacific Blue Cross
Regional extended health carrier
Pacific Blue Cross primarily covers British Columbia. Relevant for Saalvio clients whose plans were set up while living in BC and who have since moved to Ontario.
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Equitable Life
Major extended health carrier
Equitable Life group plans typically include a paramedical benefit that lists registered psychotherapy and registered social work as eligible providers under their mental health line.
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Industrial Alliance (iA)
Major extended health carrier
iA group plans commonly include a mental health practitioner category that lists psychotherapy alongside psychology. Confirm your plan's specific eligible designations before submitting a claim.
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Desjardins
Major extended health carrier
Desjardins is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada and a common employer plan in Quebec and Eastern Ontario. Their mental health benefit varies more by plan than most carriers. Verify your plan booklet directly.
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Beneva
Major extended health carrier
Formed by the merger of SSQ Insurance and La Capitale in 2023. If your card still shows SSQ or La Capitale branding, your benefits administrator is now Beneva and all claims go through their portal.
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Empire Life
Major extended health carrier
Empire Life group plans typically list registered psychotherapy and registered social work as eligible paramedical providers. Check the annual maximum under your mental health or paramedical benefit.
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SSQ Insurance (legacy)
Legacy plan branding
Now fully part of Beneva. If your benefits card shows SSQ, do not submit through SSQ's old portal. Your administrator is Beneva.
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Medavie Blue Cross
Regional extended health carrier
Medavie covers most of Atlantic Canada and administers several federal plans, including the RCMP, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program for First Nations and Inuit clients.
Public and program-based coverage
- OHIP
- The Ontario Health Insurance Plan does not cover Registered Psychotherapists or Registered Social Workers in private practice. OHIP covers psychiatry and psychotherapy delivered by a family physician within a covered visit. Our team works in neither of those categories, so OHIP is not part of how Saalvio is paid.
- PSHCP (Public Service Health Care Plan)
- Federal government employees, retirees, and their dependants. Administered by Canada Life. PSHCP currently reimburses 80 percent of the cost of registered psychotherapy and registered social work up to a combined annual maximum under the mental health practitioner category. Plan year and maximums can change; check the latest PSHCP directives before submitting.
- WSIB
- Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board can cover psychotherapy related to a work-related mental health claim, but it is never automatic. WSIB requires pre-authorization, a specific claim number, an approved treatment plan, and a registered provider. If WSIB is funding your treatment, tell us at intake so we can confirm the paperwork before your first session.
- IFHP (Interim Federal Health Program)
- Coverage for refugee claimants and some other federally protected groups. IFHP can cover mental health services, but the provider must be enrolled with Medavie Blue Cross, the IFHP administrator. Saalvio is not currently enrolled. If you are an IFHP client, please tell us at intake so we can help you find a covered provider.
- NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits)
- Federal program for eligible First Nations and Inuit clients. NIHB can cover mental health counselling, but the provider must be approved, and the client must have an active client identification number. Saalvio is in the process of applying. Until that application is complete, sessions for NIHB clients are paid out of pocket. We will publish a notice on this page when we are formally approved.
- EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs)
- Most large Canadian employers contract with an EAP that covers a fixed number of sessions per year through an in-network provider list. Saalvio is not currently in-network with major EAPs, including Telus Health, Homewood Health, LifeWorks, and Inkblot. If your EAP requires an in-network provider, our sessions are paid out of pocket and submitted to your extended health plan instead.
Before you book, check three things
- Does your plan reimburse registered psychotherapy (RP) or registered social work (RSW)? Some plans only reimburse psychology (PhD-level). If yours is one of those, our team is not eligible under your plan; sessions would be out of pocket or submitted to an HSA.
- What is your annual maximum? Mental health maximums vary widely between plans. If yours is at the lower end and you plan to come weekly, the math runs out fast. Knowing the ceiling helps you and your therapist plan a sustainable cadence.
- What percentage will the plan reimburse? Plans usually reimburse 70 to 100 percent of an eligible session. Knowing the percentage lets you work out your after-reimbursement cost per session before you commit to a cadence.
Your benefits administrator can confirm all three in a single call. If you want help interpreting what they say, mention it at your free first session. We work through this with clients every day and can usually translate the plan language into plain terms.
If your plan booklet requires your therapist's registration body and number before reimbursing, you can message the therapist directly with that question before you book. Pre-booking messaging is free under CANADAHEALS. Replies typically come within one to two business days.
Insurance questions, answered
Does Saalvio do direct billing?
Not at this time. Direct billing requires individual contracts with each insurer and a third-party billing platform. We chose to start with receipt-based reimbursement so we could focus on the clinical work first. If your plan requires direct billing, our model is not a fit today. We are honest about that.
My plan only lists "psychologist." Can I still claim?
Probably not under that line item. "Psychologist" on a plan usually means a clinician registered with the College of Psychologists (PhD-level), a different regulated profession. Saalvio's team is registered psychotherapists (CRPO) and registered social workers (OCSWSSW). Some modern plans now include a broader "mental health practitioner" or "psychotherapy" line that does reimburse RP and RSW; check whether yours does.
Will the receipt show enough for my plan?
Yes. Our receipts include the clinician name, regulated designation (Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker), regulatory body (CRPO or OCSWSSW), registration number, date of service, and amount paid. That is what every Canadian extended health carrier asks for.
Can I use an HSA?
Yes. Most Health Spending Accounts treat psychotherapy and social work receipts as eligible medical expenses. HSAs are commonly used to top up the portion that your extended health plan does not reimburse. Check whether your employer has set yours up that way.
What about CRA medical-expense tax credits?
Fees paid to a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO-registered in Ontario) or to a Social Worker authorized to provide psychotherapy under provincial law are eligible medical expenses under the Canada Revenue Agency's Medical Expense Tax Credit at the federal level, and in most provinces. Keep your receipts and speak with your accountant.
Is Saalvio enrolled in my province's program?
Saalvio is private practice. OHIP does not cover registered psychotherapy or registered social work in private practice in Ontario. Other provinces have their own public-coverage rules, and most do not cover private RP or RSW sessions. Refugee health (IFHP), Indigenous benefits (NIHB), and worker injury (WSIB) coverage are described above; specific federal programs (PSHCP for federal workers) reimburse through Canada Life.
What if my insurance question is not here?
Email [email protected] with your carrier name and the line item you are trying to claim against. We will tell you what we know and what we cannot tell you (the carrier always wins on policy specifics).
Ready to start?
Your first session at Saalvio is free under CANADAHEALS, regardless of insurance. Insurance only matters from your second session onward. See our pricing page for the full pricing model.