I've been paying for therapy out of pocket. I'm having difficulty paying...so now I'm considering trying to reimbursed by out of network benefits (if I have any)... Can anyone tell me if there is any serious downsides to running this through insurance in the US? Also, is there a difference for qualifying for life insurance or other things if your diagnosis is anxiety or if it is depression? Is one a "lesser" diagnosis?

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by Readytostop

Also, is there a difference for qualifying for life insurance or other things if your diagnosis is anxiety or if it is depression? Is one a "lesser" diagnosis?

Yes! Some companies will disqualify you from life insurance if you have a depression diagnosis. It could vary depending on the insurance company, but I know some do this. I don't know about anxiety. If you have to choose one of the two, choose anxiety. It is less "damaging" all around to have in your record, I think. For example, if you later try to get a different health insurance plan, depression counts for more "points" against you than some other psych diagnoses in terms of are you healthy enough for them to agree to insure. (If you have too many points from existing ailments, you could be considered uninsurable.) Also, some jobs will not hire you if you have certain psych diagnoses. This is rare but there are some professions that have requirements. I think maybe the military is one, perhaps foreign service, perhaps being a pilot... I'm not sure. I know that some physicians will not use insurance for psych matters for fear of professional repercussions. I don't know if those fears are founded or not or if they are just being extra cautious.