For many of us, if we have health insurance, we assume it’s in our best interest to go through our insurance to receive the best care. This makes a lot of sense and can be beneficial to many people. However, this is not always the case for everyone. There are some things you may not realize come into play when you use your health insurance to pay for mental health services. This post will discuss six reasons you might not want to use health insurance for your mental health care.
1.) A mental health diagnosis can impact your career.
Your employment and future career can be impacted by a mental health diagnosis. There are some fields in which diagnosis and treatment for a mental health diagnosis can prevent you from reaching your career goals. Unfortunately, there are some individuals who would benefit from mental health treatment but do not pursue this support due to fear of the potential negative impact a diagnosis can have on their employment opportunities.
However, you do have the option for mental health treatment with a private pay mental health provider who can assess your symptoms and collaborate with you to develop a treatment plan without having to give you a mental health diagnosis. Private pay mental health counselors are not required to give you a mental health diagnosis. They are required to list what you are working on in sessions so that if something were to happen to your counselor, another counselor is able to pick up where you left off in treatment and continue helping you to work towards your treatment goals.
2.) A mental health diagnosis can impact your life insurance.
There is the possibility that a mental health diagnosis can impact your ability to qualify for life insurance. In addition to reviewing your mental health diagnosis to determine eligibility, life insurance companies may determine a mental health diagnosis to impact your rates if you do qualify for coverage.
3.) Your health insurance will dictate who you see as a mental health counselor.
Your health insurance can determine who you can or cannot see for mental health treatment. This can negatively impact you if you have difficulty finding an in-network provider with whom you feel you have a strong working relationship. One of the determining factors of effective mental health treatment is the way a client feels about their working relationship with their counselor. If you choose to work with a private pay counselor, you have the ultimate authority in choosing who you feel you work with best. Another benefit to working with a private pay counselor is you do not have to find a new counselor due to loss or change of insurance coverage.
4.) Your health insurance can limit your access to mental health care.
Your health insurance can determine how many sessions you can attend. This can prevent you from determining for yourself what kind of care you personally want and need. Not only can your insurance dictate how many sessions you can attend, they can also determine the length of your sessions. When you work with a private pay counselor, you get to be the authority on how often you attend therapy based on your own self-awareness of your wants and needs for your mental health journey.
5.) Your health insurance can dictate what approach your counselor uses in your sessions.
When you use your health insurance for mental health care, your insurance company can determine which approaches your counselor must use in session for your treatment to be covered. This can prevent your counselor from implementing evidence-based treatment approaches that they deem to be beneficial for you if these approaches do not meet the requirements of your insurance company. For example, some health insurance companies favor solutions-based or short-term therapy over other approaches that can be more meaningful or positively impactful on your personal journey towards mental health and continued self-growth.
6.) Your symptoms may not meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis.
Whether you use in-network or out-of-network benefits, if you use your health insurance for your mental health services, you will be required to have a mental health diagnosis to receive coverage for treatment. You can experience some challenging symptoms related to your mental health, yet your symptoms might not meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis. This can prevent you from receiving mental health treatment that can positively contribute to your life and help you manage stressors. When you choose to work with a private pay mental health counselor, you are in the driver’s seat of your individualized mental health care. Your symptoms are still valid even if they don’t meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis. You don’t have to rely on an insurance company or a diagnosis to validate your experience and your desire for or access to mental health care.
When you choose to forego utilizing your health insurance for mental health care services, your options for support and treatment expand. Some people choose to use their health insurance for mental health care without realizing that depending on their benefit coverage, they may not reach their deductible and essentially be paying the full cost of therapy without all the benefits of private pay therapy. Rather, some continue to get the mental health treatment dictated by their insurance companies without ever reaching the financial benefit of using their health insurance coverage when their deductible is not met. Ultimately, you have to review your health insurance benefits and weigh them against the benefits of private pay therapy when you are making decisions for your mental health support. Your inner wisdom and voice matter when it comes to your mental health. When you work with a private pay counselor, you are empowered to make the decisions you feel are best for your personal mental health journey.
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