Blue Care Network counseling: using your BCN plan for online therapy in Michigan

If you have an HMO, you may be used to asking permission first: see your primary care doctor, get a referral, then book the specialist. So when you decide you want counseling, it is natural to wonder whether the same hoops apply. For Blue Care Network members, behavioral health works a little differently, and knowing how can save you a week of phone tag.

Can I use Blue Care Network for sessions with Iryna?

Yes. Sessions with Iryna Morhunova-Sutton, LLMFT, can be billed to Blue Care Network through her group practice’s billing system. Each BCN plan sets its own copay and deductible, and its own answer on whether sessions with a spouse or family members count, so a few minutes on the phone before you begin is time well spent.

What is Blue Care Network?

Blue Care Network of Michigan is a nonprofit health maintenance organization owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. It serves more than 828,000 members and describes itself as Michigan’s leading HMO, with access in all 83 counties.

In a typical HMO, Blue Cross explains, you choose one primary care provider, you usually need a referral before seeing other professionals (except in an emergency), and care outside the network typically is not covered. That last point matters most for therapy: with BCN, staying in network is usually what makes a visit covered at all.

Do BCN members need a referral for counseling?

For behavioral health, Blue Cross tells BCN members: “You don’t have to talk to your primary care provider first.” Instead, members can call Blue Care Network’s behavioral health line at 1-800-482-5982 (TTY 711), which Blue Cross lists as available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A care manager evaluates your needs and can help with referrals for services or therapy support.

Even without a primary care referral, some services may still need authorization depending on your plan. The simplest move is to ask on that call: “Do I need an authorization for outpatient therapy visits, and how many are approved?” If the back of your own card lists a different behavioral health number, use the one on your card. Keep a note of who you spoke with and any authorization number they give you, since you may need it later.

Questions to ask Blue Care Network

• Is outpatient behavioral health covered with an in-network provider, and what is my copay or coinsurance?
• Do I have a deductible that applies to therapy, and how much have I met?
• Does outpatient therapy require an authorization under my plan?
• Are video visits covered the same way as office visits?
• Will BCN pay for family psychotherapy (90847 or 90846) if a family member’s diagnosis is being treated?

Does Blue Care Network cover online therapy?

According to Blue Cross guidance revised in February 2026, every BCN commercial and BCN Advantage member has telemedicine coverage when the provider is in network. Your copay for a video session depends on your plan. BCN members may also have access to virtual care through Teladoc Health, a separate service Blue Cross contracts for.

The same materials note that the provider must be licensed where the patient is located. For you, that means joining each session from somewhere in Michigan: your apartment in Kalamazoo, your parents’ place in Saginaw over the holidays, anywhere inside state lines.

What about BCN Advantage?

If your card says BCN Advantage, you have a Medicare Advantage plan from Blue Care Network. Medicare plans follow their own rules for mental health care, so read our guide to using Medicare for therapy alongside your plan’s Evidence of Coverage.

Couples and family sessions with BCN

An HMO pays for treating a member’s health condition, so BCN coverage for joint sessions usually depends on whether the work is part of treating someone’s diagnosis. Picture a parent whose depression is straining the whole household: family sessions that support that treatment may be billable as family psychotherapy. Sessions aimed only at relationship growth, with no diagnosis involved, are often not reimbursed. Our couples therapy insurance guide covers the details.

Start with one message

You do not need a referral form to reach out. Request an appointment and mention your BCN plan when you reach out, whether you are interested in marriage counseling, family work or individual support by online therapy. You can compare other plans on the insurance overview.