Should I Use My Insurance for Therapy?

There are pros and cons for using your insurance benefits to help pay for therapy.  Let’s be real - therapy isn’t cheap, and insurance can make it more accessible for a lot of people.  So why wouldn’t someone want to use their benefits? With our current laws, the answer to this question has changed a bit.  While some plans can refuse to cover pre-existing conditions, most plans will cover them now. Just a few years ago, receiving therapy for, say, an anxiety disorder, could result in being denied for insurance altogether, or in coverage for anything even remotely connected to that diagnosis being denied.  While that’s still a possibility for some plans, it’s not for most. It’s possible that could change in the future, and that’s a consideration for anyone wanting to use insurance benefits for… well, just about anything. However, I tend to think (and this is really only my opinion, so don’t take it as any sort of assurance) that it’s unlikely that pre-existing condition coverage requirements will be repealed anytime in the near future.

Another reason many people choose not to go through insurance is the limits the insurer may place on your access to care.  Although mental health parity laws should protect access to mental health care, many insurers limit how many sessions you can attend with your coverage and require certain diagnoses in order for your sessions to be covered.  They can also limit how long your sessions can be, and that often results in shorter sessions than you or your therapist might think is best. Another barrier insurance can put in your path is the right to audit your care. If they chose to do this and then decided you didn’t meet criteria for their coverage or that you made enough progress to discontinue sessions earlier than you or your therapist thought, they could take payments back from your therapist, leaving you with the bill.  Truthfully, this doesn’t happen all that often, and it isn’t really something most people need to worry about.

Why else might you not choose to use your insurance?  I think the biggest reason for most people (myself included) is that you find a therapist you really want to work with that doesn’t take your insurance.  The percentage of therapists who accept insurance in your area is dictated by many factors, so what your options are depends on where you live.

What can you do if you find a therapist you really want to work with that doesn’t take your insurance?  Research your out-of-network benefits! I’ve got a post about how to do this here.

If you determine that your benefits aren’t enough to make therapy accessible, or if you decide you don’t want to use your benefits (in- or out-of-network), but therapy seems too expensive for you, I recommend looking into sliding scale/reduced fee options in your area, as well as community mental health providers in your area.  Some providers may require proof of income and family size to qualify for low-cost services, while others may take your word that full fee services are out of reach for you.

Now that you know more about using insurance benefits with therapy, it’s time to find a therapist!  I’ve got a guide to help you find a therapist here.