The 21st century gave us many great things to look forward to, but it surprised us also with many more problems. One of them is the rise in the number of people needing mental health treatment. This is a serious situation that impacts everyone, including entrepreneurs and business professionals. There are millions of people out there that should be treated, and yet the access to mental health care is still difficult, to say the least. It is hard to ask for help and to receive it can cost you massive amounts of money. The burden of paying your part of the cost adds stress during a time already full of anxiety. Dealing with mental health problems is challenging enough, so here are a few tips to help you get some of that pressure off your mind. Let's talk about how to get mental health insurance.
Is Mental Health Treatment Covered?
Getting help when you suffer from mental health conditions is needed and necessary. It would be best if you revised your individual health insurance, as many people don't even know that their insurance covers mental health issues. But you should also be aware that there is no formal obligation for every insurance plan to include every mental health service. However, most available insurance plans do after President Obama introduced health care reform.
What plans cover mental health insurance? After the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, health insurance providers are required to cover so-called essential services. Mental health treatment is considered essential care. Also, please note that Medicaid and Medicare also cover some mental health services. The insurance that may vary in the inclusion of mental health treatment is the employer-sponsored group insurance plan. Only when the company employs more than fifty people, it is required to provide mental health services.
Questions To Ask Your Health Insurance Provider
The key to being ready for whatever comes is to know exactly what kind of mental health services are included within your plan. Moreover, your policy may specify who you should get your services from, in order for the care to be covered. It is necessary to contact your insurance provider to ask a few follow up questions about your mental health coverage. Here are the most important ones:
● Ask if your provider is using insurance networks and if yes, how do they work. A network can limit to whom you can go looking for help without paying the full amount on the bill.
● Co-payments should be the next thing on your question list. You need to know how much money will go out of your pocket for proper treatment.
● Lastly, ask about the deductible. It may differ based on the plan you have.
Additional Actions
You might need more help than what is offered to you as a part of your insurance. The right medical assistance and services from professionals is an essential part of managing mental health problems. Still, it would help if you also considered additional support from that doesn't have to cost a lot. You can find the following resources:
● National Alliance on Mental Illness that offers various programs.
● Clinical trials.
● Local services and support groups.
● HRSA Health Center Program that offers options regardless of your ability to pay and based on what you can afford.
Look for help where you can. There is no shame in asking for it. You will be amazed at how much support you can get from people within your community that go through the same thing.
Mental Health Insurance Purchase
If you already have a history of mental health issues and you previously fought some battles, you should consider adapting your insurance plan to your needs. Mental health insurance is generally bought within the framework of your medical health insurance plan. If your income is low, you may be eligible for help with paying your monthly premiums if you choose a plan on the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange. If you have standard insurance that doesn't cover mental health service, think about changing to a High-Deductible Health Plan. It does include mental health services. Many HDHPs can be combined with a Health Savings Account. This will allow you to pay the deductible with pre-tax money. Do some research on the market of health insurance and choose the one that will satisfy your needs and reduce the stress of not being able to afford help.
Mental health is something you should pay attention to and take care of. Living in a modern world full of pressure, deadlines and never-ending expectations is tough. But remember that there is nothing wrong with looking for help to maintain your peace and sanity. Being prepared for the worse is actually the same as being ready to move forward. Your health is of most importance, and you deserve high-quality care. Be brave enough to fight for it and yourself.
