Ohio insurance mandates: what it means for psychotherapy
The short answerOhio law requires health benefit plans to cover telehealth on the same basis as in-person care, without requiring the same payment rate. Separately, sickness and accident policies must cover biologically based mental illnesses on the same terms as other illnesses when diagnosed by listed clinicians, including LPCs.
By Javier Alvarez · Updated · 1 min read
1 row: State law · Ohio. Public policy, not the member's benefits.
Ohio insurance mandates
Ohio Revised Code 3902.30 (telehealth) and 3923.281 (biologically based mental illness) · Ohio
| Where it applies | Sickness and accident policies must cover diagnosis and treatment of biologically based mental illness on the same terms as other physical diseases. The defined illnesses are schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoia and other psychotic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder. Medicaid policies are excluded from this section. [1] |
|---|---|
| State law | A health benefit plan must cover telehealth services on the same basis and to the same extent as in-person services and may not exclude a service solely because it is delivered by telehealth (effective March 23, 2022). [2] |
| Who can bill | For the mandate to apply, the illness must be clinically diagnosed by a physician, a licensed psychologist, a licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, independent social worker or independent marriage and family therapist licensed under Chapter 4757, or a clinical nurse specialist or certified nurse practitioner whose nursing specialty is mental health. [1] |
| Payment | The telehealth law does not require a specific reimbursement amount and does not require telehealth to be paid at the same rate as in-person services. [2] |
- Ohio Revised Code section 3923.281, biologically based mental illness coverage (effective March 23, 2015), checked October 30, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code section 3902.30, telehealth coverage (effective March 23, 2022), checked October 30, 2026
What the Ohio law says
- Where it applies. Sickness and accident policies must cover diagnosis and treatment of biologically based mental illness on the same terms as other physical diseases. The defined illnesses are schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoia and other psychotic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder. Medicaid policies are excluded from this section.
- State law. A health benefit plan must cover telehealth services on the same basis and to the same extent as in-person services and may not exclude a service solely because it is delivered by telehealth (effective March 23, 2022).
- Who can bill. For the mandate to apply, the illness must be clinically diagnosed by a physician, a licensed psychologist, a licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, independent social worker or independent marriage and family therapist licensed under Chapter 4757, or a clinical nurse specialist or certified nurse practitioner whose nursing specialty is mental health.
- Payment. The telehealth law does not require a specific reimbursement amount and does not require telehealth to be paid at the same rate as in-person services.
The law sets a floor for the plans it reaches; the plan's own policy still decides the codes, units and authorization. On the benefits call, ask whether the plan is fully insured in Ohio, and if a covered service is denied, name the statute in the appeal.