The subject of whether or not a person’s health insurance coverage covers mental health disorders is significant for various reasons for people who rely on private or workplace insurance to cover the expense of their necessary medical care.
The concept that one’s mental health is distinct from their physical health is not a new one; yet, the determination of which is which can be somewhat arbitrary at times. When it comes to health insurance, the categorization of illnesses and diseases can be used to determine whether or not an insurance company would pay for treatment of those conditions. That is a procedure that can literally be a matter of life and death for many people who struggle with mental health concerns.
The word “mental health” can refer to a variety of conditions, ranging from a relatively moderate form of depression to significant conditions such as clinical depression, schizophrenia, alcoholism, full-blown psychotic episodes, and so on.
Any health insurance policy worth its salt should detail in excruciating detail the range of ailments and conditions for which it is willing to offer coverage, as well as those for which it is not. This will also contain what it specifically identifies as a form of mental health illness or issue, as well as whether or not the insurance policy provides any cover for it.
People are wary of health insurance plans that cover mental health issues because the majority of the time, any treatment for a mental health issue relates to either what is known as talking therapy or some pharmaceutical drug-based regime. This is one of the reasons why people are wary of health insurance plans.
Depending on the nature and severity of the condition, it is likely that any kind of talking therapy that is likely to be beneficial will be a procedure that lasts for a somewhat long period of time. Any insurance policy that covers certain mental health issues will also contain very tight criteria about the kind of talking therapy that is covered, how long it is covered for, and who can carry out the talking therapy that is covered.
When researching any kind of mental health coverage provided by a health insurance plan, there is one more aspect of the nature of deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance that you need to be aware of. These words are, in essence, methods for convincing the individual who is insured under the policy to shoulder some of the expense of the treatment on an ongoing basis in relation to the insurance company.
Most people are familiar with the concept of a deductible, which is also frequently referred to as an excess, in a policy; nevertheless, any health insurance coverage needs to be thoroughly examined in terms of its deductibles in order to make sure that it is meeting your needs. This is due to the fact that a single insurance policy can frequently have a number of different deductibles attached to it, each of which is for a different amount and applies to a separate portion of the policy.
A deductible for medical coverage could be set at either the individual or the family level for an insurance policy. In most cases, a differentiation is made between a generic drug and a brand-name drug, however this deductible could be treated as a separate entity from another deductible that would apply to particular categories of medications. The amounts that are involved in these deductibles can be substantial, and when added to any co-pay or co-insurance amounts, they can add up to become a large burden that the individual will be required to bear.
To summarize, prior to purchasing a health insurance policy, one should ensure that they have a thorough understanding of the coverage provided by the policy, as well as the specifics of what is and is not covered, as the level of coverage and the specifics of what is and is not covered will vary greatly from one health insurance policy to another.
