Talkspace Partners With Amazon to Offer Mental Health Services

NEW YORK –Talkspace, an online behavioral health care company, has landed a partnership with Amazon Health Services to increase awareness and discoverability of its mental health care services on Amazon.com. Talkspace is the first virtual behavioral health provider to join Amazon Health Services’ program to help individuals discover and enroll in their health insurance benefits at no extra cost or for a small copay. With more than 5,000 therapists and providers across 50 states, Talkspace improves access to high-quality mental health care services for more than 150 million eligible members. The average copay for a virtual therapy visit is $15, however, out-of-pocket may vary based on the member’s specific deductible.

Talkspace stock climbed 13% Tuesday on the news and closed at $2.17 per share.

Mental health challenges are widespread, with millions of people across the U.S. regularly experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, and relational issues. In fact, nearly half of all American adults will face emotional or mental health struggles at some point in their lives. Despite the increasing demand for support, affordability and difficulty finding providers are the top two barriers that prevent individuals from seeking care.

Through this uniquely designed partnership, Amazon is helping customers discover, determine their eligibility for, and enroll in their Talkspace mental health benefits if they choose to do so. Many people may not know they have access to these services through their employer or health plan. In fact, studies have shown that nearly a quarter of U.S. adults are unaware of all the benefits available to them through their plans.

“This partnership with Amazon marks a pivotal moment in our mission to provide high-quality mental health care to the majority of Americans,” said Jon Cohen, MD, Chief Executive Officer at Talkspace. “By making it easier for millions of people across the U.S. to discover their behavioral health benefits while shopping Amazon, we can ensure more people gain access to more than 5,000 licensed therapists they may not have known about, helping them begin their therapy journey with Talkspace.”

When Amazon customers search Amazon for topics like “stress relief,” “family therapy,” or “sleep help,” they can now discover an easy way to, if they so choose, check their eligibility for therapy and psychiatry services. Customers can also visit the Amazon Health webpage to see if their insurance covers Talkspace and explore Talkspace’s various offerings. Eligible individuals will be guided to Talkspace’s website to complete the enrollment process, get paired with a licensed therapist in their state within days, and can right away schedule live online sessions (audio, video, or live chat) or message asynchronously with their therapist.

“Amazon aims to simplify the journey to better health by making it easier for customers to discover and access the products, services, and professionals they need,” said Aaron Martin, Vice President of Healthcare, Amazon. “Our collaboration with Talkspace will not only help customers discover their mental health benefits but also, if they choose, gain access to their own dedicated, licensed therapist in a fraction of the time it might take to see someone in-person.”