The confusion usually starts when someone calls their insurer and asks about EMDR by name and gets a blank from whoever answers the phone. Not because the therapy is not covered. Because the plan does not track therapy names. It tracks provider types, and the question that actually gets a clean answer is whether EMDR is covered by insurance in Alberta or Saskatchewan when you see a Registered Social Worker. Since that is what I am, here is my best attempt at writing this out. Apologies that it is not cleaner.
Most private extended health plans in both provinces include a category for social work services. Whether they call it MSW services, social worker coverage, or just mental health paramedical, if you see that language in your plan, you are probably covered for sessions with me. EMDR insurance in Saskatchewan or Alberta is rarely listed separately because the plan is tracking who you see, not what we do in the room.
The short answer: most extended health plans cover RSW services
Your extended health plan probably does not have a line that says EMDR: covered or EMDR: not covered. What it likely says is something like social work services or Registered Social Worker and then a dollar amount per year. If you see that language, you are probably covered for sessions with me. The modality we use inside those sessions is not what the plan is tracking.
Coverage amounts vary quite a bit from plan to plan. Some are generous. Some are more limited. Some split mental health services into separate provider categories, each with their own annual maximum. I cannot tell you which one you have without seeing your plan, but the mental health or paramedical section is where to look, not a specific therapy name.
My fees run from $150 to $200 per session. A lot of people do the math on that number and put the phone down. I would rather they called first.
Why coverage varies by plan and province
Alberta and Saskatchewan both regulate social workers, and most private insurers operating in either province recognise the RSW designation. But most is not all, and employer benefit plans vary quite a bit depending on who negotiated them and when. A plan put together years ago might list only psychologists. A newer one might have a longer list of covered provider types.
A few things that tend to affect what you are covered for:
- Whether your plan names social workers specifically, or only lists psychologists and psychiatrists
- Whether there is a requirement that services be provided by a regulated health professional (RSWs are regulated in both provinces)
- Whether you are on a group plan through work, an individual plan, or a student plan
- Whether the plan has a specific list of approved provider types somewhere in the fine print
The provincial health plans in Alberta and Saskatchewan do not cover private therapy. That is not changing. The question is always about private extended health benefits, usually through an employer or purchased separately. Those are the ones that typically include social work services.
If you are an Alberta resident whose employer is based in Saskatchewan, or the other way around, coverage tends to follow the plan rather than the province. I work across both and see a mix of plan types. The call to your insurer is the only way to know for certain.
Direct billing: SK NIHB, Blue Cross, and Compsych
For a few specific plans, I can direct bill, which means less out of pocket upfront and I handle the paperwork on my end. The plans I am currently set up with are:
- Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB), which covers eligible First Nations and Inuit clients for mental health services
- Alberta Blue Cross
- Saskatchewan Blue Cross
- Compsych, an Employee Assistance Programme used by a number of employers in both provinces
For plans I do not direct bill, I provide a receipt after each session and you submit the claim yourself. Online claims through most insurers take a few minutes. I try to keep that part as simple as I can.
If you are covered through NIHB, that is worth knowing before we even get to a fee conversation. It matters, and I am glad to have it in place.
What to ask your provider before you book
The fastest way to a useful answer is to call the number on the back of your benefits card and ask about the provider type, not the therapy name. Something like:
- Do I have coverage for Registered Social Worker services under my mental health or paramedical benefits?
- What is my annual maximum for social worker services?
- Is there a deductible I need to meet first?
- Do I need a referral or prior authorisation?
I know enough about EMDR to feel reasonably good about the work. What I do not know is what is in your specific plan documents, and that part honestly belongs to the call with your insurer, not the call with me. Ask about RSW coverage and you will usually get further than asking about EMDR by name. The person on the phone may not know what EMDR is, and that does not need to slow you down.
Once you know what you are working with, a free 30-minute consultation is a good next step. No paperwork, no commitment. We can talk about fit, fees, and whether direct billing applies to your plan before you decide anything.
You can find intake and contact information at perrinmhs.com.
If cost is the barrier, say so: that conversation is welcome
I want to say this plainly because it matters: money is the quiet reason a lot of people do not reach out. Not because they could not work something out, but because they do not know what to expect and the uncertainty feels like a no before they have even asked.
If cost is the thing sitting between you and picking up the phone, I would genuinely rather have that conversation than have money be the quiet reason someone did not reach out.
The practice is not high-volume. I have a limited number of spots, and I would like the people in them to be the people who need to be there. That includes people for whom the fee is a real question, not an afterthought.
If you want to understand what EMDR actually involves before we talk, there is a plain-language explanation on the EMDR page.
The financial conversation is not comfortable for most people to start. It should not be uncomfortable to have with your therapist. If it is, that might tell you something useful about the fit.
take good care.