Does Green Shield cover online therapy in Ontario?
Quick answer
It depends on your plan. Green Shield administers many different group and personal health plans, and whether a virtual therapy session is reimbursed depends on which mental health providers your specific plan lists, the annual maximum, and whether a referral is required. Most plans that cover in-person psychologists or social workers now treat a licensed provider's virtual session the same way, but confirm this through your GreenShield+ member account or plan booklet before booking.
Green Shield plans can cover online therapy, but the plan sponsor decides what is listed
Green Shield is a benefits carrier and administrator, so the answer to whether it covers your online therapy is written in your plan design rather than in a company-wide rule. Green Shield's own site describes health benefits as available through group coverage offered by companies to employees and through personal coverage for individuals, and each employer or association chooses the providers, maximums and conditions in its group plan.
That means two people with Green Shield cards in Ontario can have different answers: one plan may reimburse registered social workers and psychotherapists under a combined mental health maximum, another may cover psychologists only, and a third may include a set number of sessions through Green Shield's own virtual service. The plan booklet and the GreenShield+ platform, which the company describes as the place to submit a claim and see coverage, are where the specifics live.
Three plan details decide whether an RSW's virtual session is reimbursed
Once you know the plan lists social workers, three further details determine what you actually get back for a virtual session with a Registered Social Worker in Ontario.
| Detail | Why it matters | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible provider types | The provider's designation on the receipt must match a category the plan covers; RSW is the designation for Ontario social workers registered with the OCSWSSW | Benefits booklet, or coverage lookup in GreenShield+ |
| Delivery method | Most plans reimburse virtual sessions with a licensed provider located in the same province, but a few restrict to in-person; ask if the booklet is silent | Plan administrator or Green Shield customer service |
| Maximums and conditions | Annual dollar maximum, per-visit maximum or percentage, and any requirement for a physician referral | Benefits booklet; running balance in GreenShield+ |
Finding Focus therapy sessions are delivered by a Registered Social Worker on the care team, 50 minutes by video or phone, for adults 18 and over physically located in Ontario, from $149 per session and paid per session without any membership. Receipts carry the RSW designation and the therapist's registration number, which is what a plan needs to process a claim under a social work benefit. The full breakdown is on therapy fees and insurance.
Green Shield's own virtual therapy service is different from reimbursing your therapist
Green Shield operates a virtual mental health service of its own, and some plans include sessions through it, which is a separate question from whether the plan reimburses a therapist you choose. Green Shield's site describes a network of more than 2,100 Canadian-licensed therapists, including social workers and psychotherapists, offering individual or couples counselling, delivered from wherever you are.
- If your plan includes sessions through Green Shield's service, those sessions are booked and paid within that platform and typically do not draw on your paramedical maximum; confirm which arrangement applies.
- If your plan has a paramedical or mental health benefit, you can see an outside provider, such as an RSW working with Finding Focus, pay at the time of service and submit the receipt.
- Some plans offer both. Using the included sessions first and the paramedical benefit afterward is a common approach, but the plan wording governs.
ADHD-focused therapy is a specific service; cognitive behavioural therapy adapted for ADHD targets planning, time management, task initiation and the thinking patterns that come with years of missed deadlines. Whether the included service offers that focus is a question to ask it directly; see is therapy like CBT available for ADHD through an online clinic for what ADHD-specific CBT involves.
How to claim a Finding Focus therapy session with Green Shield
Claiming works the same way as for any paramedical service: pay for the session, get a receipt with the required details, and submit it through the member platform. Green Shield's site describes GreenShield+ as the place to submit a claim, and the plan administrator can confirm if a paper or emailed form is also accepted.
- Confirm coverage first, using the three details above, and note the annual maximum remaining.
- Book the session. Finding Focus therapy is for adults physically located in Ontario; the RSW does not diagnose, prescribe or adjust medication, so medication questions go to the prescribing clinician.
- Pay at the time of the session and download the receipt. It shows the therapist's name, RSW designation and registration number, the date, the service and the fee.
- Submit the receipt in GreenShield+ under the social worker or mental health category the plan uses, and keep a copy.
- Track the balance so you know when the annual maximum is reached and can plan remaining sessions.
Two limits to know: ADHD coaching sessions, also offered by the same RSW, are usually not reimbursed by extended health plans because coaching is not a regulated health service, and therapy is not a crisis service. If you need help now, call or text 9-8-8, Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline, or call 911.
If the plan does not cover it, two fallbacks exist in Ontario
A plan that excludes social workers or has a small maximum leaves two routes that do not depend on Green Shield at all. The first is tax relief on what you paid; the second is publicly funded therapy.
| Option | What it offers | Where to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Medical expense tax credit | The Canada Revenue Agency lists social workers, psychologists and registered psychotherapists as authorized medical practitioners in Ontario, so unreimbursed fees may be claimable as medical expenses subject to the credit's threshold | CRA, authorized medical practitioners page (updated January 2026) |
| Ontario Structured Psychotherapy | Publicly funded, evidence-based CBT and related services for adults in Ontario with depression, anxiety and related concerns | Ontario Health, or the regional program |
The public program is organized around depression and anxiety-related concerns rather than ADHD itself, so it suits people whose main current difficulty is mood or worry; the details are in what publicly funded therapy options exist in Ontario for adults with ADHD and anxiety. Whichever route you use, virtual therapy records in Ontario are protected by the Personal Health Information Protection Act in the same way as in-person records; see what is PHIPA and how does it protect virtual therapy records in Ontario.
Common questions
Related questions, answered
Some group plans require a physician's referral for paramedical or psychological services and others do not; the plan booklet states which. If a referral is needed, a family physician or nurse practitioner can usually provide one, and it is worth getting it dated before the first session so earlier receipts are not rejected. Referrals are a plan condition, not a Green Shield-wide rule.
If you are a covered dependant on a spouse's group plan, sessions can be claimed under that plan, subject to its provider list and maximums. Where both partners have coverage, plans coordinate benefits: the plan of the person receiving treatment pays first and the spouse's plan may cover part of the remainder. Confirm the coordination rules in both booklets before submitting.
Most plans that accept virtual delivery treat phone and video the same, since both are sessions with a licensed provider, but some define virtual as video only. Finding Focus therapy is available by video or phone, and the receipt describes the service. If your booklet specifies a delivery method, match it; if it is silent, ask the plan administrator in writing and keep the answer.
Check the denial code: it usually says whether the issue is the provider type, a missing registration number, an exhausted maximum or a referral requirement. Provider-type denials cannot be appealed through the therapist, but the plan sponsor may be able to add social workers at renewal. In the meantime the unreimbursed fees may qualify for the medical expense tax credit.
Helpful next steps
References
- 1.Green Shield, health benefits overview (group and personal coverage) View source ↗
- 2.Green Shield, Plan members (GreenShield+ claims and coverage) View source ↗
- 3.Canada Revenue Agency, Authorized medical practitioners for the purposes of the medical expense tax credit View source ↗
- 4.Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (effective September 8, 2023) View source ↗
- 5.Ontario Health, Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program View source ↗
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional about your individual situation. If you are in crisis or thinking about self-harm, call or text 9-8-8, Canada’s Suicide Crisis Helpline, at any time.
Finding Focus uses AI tools to help research and draft some articles. Every article is edited and fact-checked by the Finding Focus team before publication. See our editorial and medical review policy.
