Health Insurance for Mental Illnesses

Health Insurance for Mental Illnesses

Millions of Americans face mental health struggles, and countless others have issues that are undiagnosed. This might range anywhere from anxiety or depression to more serious issues. However, there are countless mental health resources available within the medical community, and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or frustrating when seeking the help, you need.

Luckily, health insurance will cover most mental health services. However, like all types of health services, you must work within the confines of your plan to receive the most affordability for your mental health care. Let’s take a closer look at how this works.

How Health Insurance Addresses Mental Health Needs

Mental health is not abstract; it is a physical illness that can be as serious as any other ailment. Various Mental health and substance use disorder parity laws require insurers to treat these illnesses in the same manner. Therefore, your health insurance can cover numerous essential services, including:

• Prescription drugs
• Inpatient care
• Psychotherapy and counseling
• Rehabilitation services
• Substance abuse services

Therefore, whether you need an anti-depressant, counseling or more specialized assistance, your health insurance is likely to help you cover the related costs. While you still might be responsible for deductibles, coinsurance or copayment expenses, you still will enjoy the benefit of significantly cheaper care that enables you to receive the vital services you deserve.

Will My Plan Include Limits for Mental Health Coverage?

No health insurance plan is unlimited. Therefore, you will have to use your plan as your roadmap when seeking mental health services. If you follow your plan’s guidelines, you will receive optimized costs for your care.

For instance, most health insurance plans include provider networks. These networks are groups of physicians, hospitals and other medical groups that accept your insurance plan as a form of payment. Therefore, when you see an in-network provider for your care, you will pay the lowest costs for the requisite services. Keep in mind, you might have to pay off your deductible before you are eligible to receive some aspects of care.

Still, some plans do not cover all types of mental health care, and others might only cover a certain amount of such care throughout the year. For example, substance abuse counseling provided by a church group will not have health insurance coverage. However, seeing a professional substance abuse counselor in your plan’s network will. Also, if your plan won’t cover certain services that your doctor deems medically necessary, you can work with them and your insurer to verify that you still need such treatment to be covered.

With the help of your insurer, you can access the mental health care that you need, so don’t hesitate to investigate your care options any time you are ready.