| Mental health insurance is a fairly new type of | | | | Selecting a Mental Health Insurance Policy |
| insurance. As recently as ten years ago, most insurers | | | | Whether you're looking for an insurance policy that just |
| offered little if any coverage for mental health | | | | covers mental health or a policy that includes both |
| problems. Now, many states require that insurance | | | | physical and mental health coverage, your best option |
| companies include some form of mental health | | | | for finding an affordable policy is to shop around. Go to |
| insurance coverage as part of their health insurance | | | | an insurance comparison website and get quotes from |
| policies. Here's how to get affordable mental health | | | | multiple A-rated companies that you can compare. As |
| insurance. | | | | you compare the policies, look for whether the policy: |
| What Does Mental Health Insurance Cover? | | | | * Requires a referral from your primary care physician |
| Mental health insurance coverages vary widely among | | | | or employee assistance program. |
| insurance companies. Most insurance companies | | | | * Includes a preferred list of providers and hospitals |
| cover problems such as | | | | you must choose from and what the financial |
| * Anxiety | | | | consequences are if you choose someone else. |
| * Depression | | | | * Includes a separate annual deductible for mental |
| * Relationship difficulties | | | | health services. |
| * Social phobias | | | | * Pays for office visits, medication, respite care, |
| They typically do not cover alternative therapies such | | | | outpatient hospital care, and inpatient hospital care and |
| as aromatherapy, nor do they cover therapy related | | | | what the co-payments are for these services. |
| to gender change. | | | | * Limits your number of visits. |
| Insurance companies typically allow around 20 to 30 | | | | * Excludes certain diagnoses or pre-existing conditions. |
| sessions with a mental health professional per year, | | | | * Includes an annual or lifetime cap for mental health |
| paying anywhere from 50-80 percent of the bill. | | | | coverage. |