Mental health out of network being covered as in-network provider

This is first for me and I am wondering if any one else has seen their insurance company do this or if this is a benefit of my company.

I have insurance through my work. I see a therapist 2x a month and she has always been out of network. I recently submitted a superbill for the past few year. I fully expected to pay by deductible and then get reimbursed a minimal amount (reason why I was not concerned about submitting for reimbursement sooner). After the claims being processed the insurance company covered the entire amount minus my $20 co-pay for each visit. They sent me a check for thousands of dollars.

I called the insurance to understand and they said my policy allows all mental health visits to be covered at in-network rate. I have never heard of this before and was wondering if anyone else has ever seen this happen.

If it is needed my company is self-insured and can dictate their own policy. I am very grateful for this benefit and wish other insurances would do the same as finding a qualified in-network therapist is very difficult.

submitted by /u/hope1083
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