State & public employees
Active New York State workers, plus many local government, school, and public-authority employees.
NYSHIP & The Empire Plan
Therapy for New York State employees, made simple.
If you, a parent, or a spouse works for New York State, your NYSHIP mental health benefits are likely more generous than you realize. As NYSHIP specialists, we put that coverage to work for you — and handle every bit of the paperwork.
The short answer
Does NYSHIP cover therapy for state employees?
Yes. NYSHIP through The Empire Plan includes outpatient mental health benefits for New York State employees, retirees, and enrolled family members. Therapy is available to members anywhere in New York by secure video. As NYSHIP specialists, we verify your out-of-network benefits for free and handle the billing for you.
Our specialty
We know The Empire Plan inside and out.
Many state employees never use their behavioral health benefits simply because the process feels confusing. That's exactly the part we remove. We work with NYSHIP / The Empire Plan every day — verifying your out-of-network benefits and handling the billing for you — so your benefits actually get used the way they were meant to.
NYSHIP
The Empire Plan
State employees
Retirees
Spouses & dependents
Who's covered
If this is you, you likely have benefits.
NYSHIP covers a wide range of New Yorkers. The Empire Plan is the most common option — and its mental health benefits extend to families too.
Retirees
Retired NYS employees who carry their NYSHIP / Empire Plan coverage into retirement.
Spouses & dependents
Enrolled family members — including teens and young-adult dependents — are typically covered too.
How to start
Three steps — we handle the hard part.
1
Verification
Share your NYSHIP / Empire Plan details when you reach out. We confirm your out-of-network benefits — what's covered and any out-of-pocket cost — and explain it in plain language. Always free.
2
Billing
We submit your out-of-network claims to The Empire Plan for every session — no superbills, no reimbursement forms, no surprises. We'll tell you any out-of-pocket cost up front.
3
Care
You begin therapy by secure video, anywhere in New York State — with verification and billing handled behind the scenes, so every session stays focused on you.
Common questions
NYSHIP therapy, answered.
Yes. NYSHIP through The Empire Plan includes outpatient mental health benefits for New York State employees, retirees, and enrolled family members. Therapy is available to members by secure video across New York, billed out-of-network. We verify your exact benefits for free before you begin.
NYSHIP covers active New York State employees, many public-sector and school employees, retirees, and their enrolled spouses and dependents. If you have The Empire Plan, your behavioral health benefits are likely included.
Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your specific plan and whether you've met your deductible. We confirm your benefits during a free verification and handle the billing for you, so there are no surprises.
No. We handle verification and bill The Empire Plan directly. There are no superbills or reimbursement forms for you to submit.
Yes. Telehealth is typically covered the same as in-person care under NYSHIP, so you can meet a licensed New York therapist by secure video from anywhere in the state.
Let's put your benefits to work.
Send us your plan details and we'll verify your NYSHIP coverage for free — no commitment.