Therapist dropped me bc of insurance

As title say. I got a call today from my therapist saying she would no longer be able to see me. Because I have medicaid as a secondary insurance - which I have have to meet a spend down of 400$ each month to be able to use it its not regular medicaid. The therapist said i would not be held for what medicare didn't pay for my appts and she would refund all the copays i paid.

Now my problem is this. When seeking a new therapist I will have the same damn issue with that medicaid being 2nd to the medicare. I am trying to figure how I can opt out of it so I can get the help I need. Some people said just use the medicaid to get services most of agencies will not work with my spend down bc its high so I am really in a rock and hard place

Hello, anxiety247. See here: Mental health care (outpatient) | Medicare.gov

Note in the upper right is "Find someone to talk to" with a drop-down listing the states. Perhaps, you might get your questions answered there.

@Glok
Thank you I will try that tomorrow
In meantime I am trying to figure how to opt out of medicaid so I can find the help I need.

I don't think opting out of your Medicaid will help you. Primary insurance gets used first and then secondary. That your secondary doesn't work until the $400 spend down, the primary, Medicare, alone won't be enough, like it isn't now, for many places to want to treat you. I would find a clinic/therapist that takes your coverage rather than try to mess with the insurance.

I too would try to keep the coverage and try to find a provider that accepts it. Unless, because you have medicare and you can afford it, there are some less expensive medicare supplemental plans (less expensive than individual plans that is) that more providers are willing to accept than they are medicaid, and your T might be one of them. This way your Medicare is your primary insurance, the supplement is your secondary insurance, and medicaid is only billed if there is any remaining balance, which is rare for there to be any remaining bill with a supplement.

Depending on the plan, most medicare supplements will then pick up 100% after medicare of their approved amounts; if medicare does not approve it though, there is no coverage. This is where a medicare supplement differs from medicaid, an individual plan, or employer-based plan. However, as long as the provider accepts Medicare and bills appropriately, nothing experimental, things should be covered.

Also, in paying for a supplement, keeping track of these amounts for your annual or semi-annual reviews, depending how they are in your state, can be deducted from your medical expenses like any other medical expenses you incur during the year and can help qualify you for additional benefits (food stamps, fuel assistance, etc. ) as you are paying out of pocket for this; it just depends on your state.

Perhaps this might be an option. If not, it is not worth losing the medicaid coverage. There are providers out there that accept it. It is just a matter of finding them.

The medicaid has been a barrier for me getting help. I am going to opt out of it being I never use it as the 2nd insurance anyways. I never meet the spend down. Plus my income (assets) allowed to have by medicaid guidelines will be changing in near future so it will disqualify me for the medicaid spend-down. I just need to opt out now so I can have an assessment to be linked up with a therapist. The place told me the medicaid need to be off as 2nd insurance for them to see me. I have a month to get this resolved for that appt.

A few true article I stumbled on

People with mental illness face legal discrimination
USA TODAY ‎- 11 hours ago
This systemic discrimination, embedded in Medicaid and Medicare laws ... fails to provide the most basic services for people with mental illness
Stigma, discrimination against mentally ill are common

Thank you for sharing that article--it was very good and informative. p.s. I know dealing with this kind of stuff can be very difficult.

my t opted out of medicare and its been a nightmare. i didnt want a new t so i ve been paying cash, but recently they agreed to give me ten additional "transition" sessions to span july 3 to august 3 and by then i have to have found a new provider that takes me insurance.

however to me this just shows they can pay her if they want to, i just have to figure out what argument will sway them. i usually go twice a week, but id be willing to compromise if they pay once a week for the next year til she can opt back in.

but i dunno, insurance rules fricken suck.

it sounds likeur in a diff state than me, though as i have medi-cal not medi caid, but i think theyre probably the same. my medical pays for nearly nothing, its medicare thats footing the bill.