Types of Insurance

Do you have insurance? What type? What does it cover/how much does it cost? Does it cover psychotherapy?

http://www.reneespencer.com/AboutInsurance.html

I have an HMO, which would sound like a bad deal, but in actuality it has really worked well. My therapy and pdoc appointments are covered like any other medical specialist, so I pay a co-pay at each visit. There are no limits to the number of visits. Hospital stays are covered like any other hospitalization and I've never been forced to discharge because I'd been in to long or anything. Mental health insurance issues are handled through a special service with the insurance company, so the case managers, etc. seem to be well-versed in assisting with mental health insurance issues. All in all, I have no complaints.

My insurance isn't technically an insurance policy. My employer is a public hospital which is self insured, much like most large employers are. I was happy to see mental health parity passing while requiring self insured companies follow the new law as well as traditional insurers.

Most HMOs in my area make it such a long process to get any help that most people give up on actually using any mental health benefits. And a case manager out here usually means they are working on giving you as little as possible. I'm glad yours is treating you well, Farmergirl.

I have an 'insurance plan' through a major national insurance company.
I pay the first $2,000 (out of network, $4,000), then a percentage of the next $10,000 (out of network, it's the next $25,000), then it pays 100%.

I pay cash for my therapy, leaving all of the decisions to be mine, leaving the insurance company's (and collected medical records) noses out of it.
It's wonderful to not deal with insurance for therapy. It isn't easy, it is a sacrifice, but it's well worth it.

Yes, Echoes, that's what I did too. Much more "restful", even if I did have to work a stressful job for 8 years to do it, LOL.

I have Tricare Prime(military) and Medicare. I know Tricare covers seeing a therapist. Having both insurances, I don't end up having a copay. I honestly don't know what I would do without medical insurance. There is no way I could begin to attempt paying for the psychiatrist or meds.

I should say that my insurance has never given me much problem paying for my therapy. There is no way I could pay for it out of pocket. I was also lucky in that when I hit my visit limit for the year my T gave me professional courtesy and only charged me the copay price for the rest of the year.

Now that I am bipolar and there is mental health parity I don't have to worry about visit limits. What's weird is that when I was originally diagnosed with severe depression I got information about case management in the mail. When diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, nothing from the insurance. LOL

My insurance plan is a PPO, and I pay $72/month to cover me and my 2 children. There is a $250/person deductible. I will not have a job anymore beginning in July, and at that time, I will elect COBRA. I think it will cost about $800/month to cover my family.

My insurance plan covers psychotherapy at 85% if services are provided by a network provider, and 60% if out of network. But it will only cover psychotherapy by therapists with certain licenses and credentials. Unfortunately, my T has not had an "acceptable" credential so I have paid him 100% out of pocket. He just recently changed his credential, so I may be able to get 60% of his fee covered. I am worried though about letting insurance into my "business" with my therapist. (I haven't discussed this with my therapist yet, but talking with both him and my daughter's therapist a couple of years ago convinced us not to seek insurance reimbursement for my daughter's therapist's services.)

My insurance used to cover 20 PT visits per year, but with the parity law, it now covers 50 (if an acceptable provider is used).

Private Insurance through my husband work that is a PPO (no referral required) and it comes with a $20 co-pay for regular doctors and a $40 co-pay for specialist... with 24 visits per year for mental health, mental health hospital covered at a 80/20 percentage.

Medication is covered for one month at the local pharmacy for $8
Long term medication is covered via mail at three months for $15