A good insurance company for mental health care? That’s a good question… I have a couple of resources that might help – I’ll see if I can find them and post them. I used to work in health care and dealt with a lot of insurance issues. Right now, you are running into a problem many many people are having. Insurance companies are denying a lot of things they used to cover easily because of the economy. The code your doctor or T gave on the insurance claim is pretty important – have you told your T and confirmed they gave the right code for anxiety to indicate it is medically based? Sorry if that is an obvious question to ask... I'm sorry it was denied. Insurance appeals and battles are miserable to deal with...

~ jd

Do they limit your visits for other medical issues? After the mental health parity law passed, I thought they couldn't limit visits anymore like they used to. I used to be capped at 40 visits and now I have unlimited. I still have to get approval for sessions, but otherwise I go 2 or 3 times a week for lengthy sessions and I'm totally covered. I pay 40% up to $2500 out of pocket and then I'm covered 100%. I don't want to say which insurance because it gives out too much personal info, but I know that I'm lucky in that regard.

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fsmhpaea.html

I have insurance through my job but my insurance company carries personal coverage as well. My insurance is Aetna POS II, it includes unlimited mental health visits (therapy) with a $40 copay (they're considered a specialist under my plan). I'm really not sure what it would cost an individual for this plan but Aetna has a bunch of different plans, I even think you can customize some to a certain extent.

I hope this helps

I have Aetna HMO and get no coverage, so we're paying completely out of pocket this year. Going to see if we can switch to PPO next year during my H's open enrollment in November (well, know we can switch, but going to see if they cover our T). This year, between H and I, therapy will be over $10,000. At least some of it should be tax deductible. SHEESH!

Thanks everyone for the info! Yaku, sorry you don't have any coverage. That must stink! Ruby, I'm going to check out that Aetna plan. Thanks for the info. STRM, if you are comfortable PMing me which insurance company you have, I'd love to know so I could check it out for myself. Jane, yes, he has me coded for anxiety but they still denied it because I'm not on medication. Now, I have to go on a psychiatric consult but they've already made their FINAL DETERMINATION. T insisted on trying to handle it himself so I'm a little pissed that he didn't wait and let me go on the consult first, which I've learned about from you all. T says he has a client who has bipolar and is actually on disability and his insurance company refuses to give him the unlimited benefits.

Thanks for the info, guys. I'm going to see what I can do.

I have been seeing a P for about ten years and have never had any coverage for the visits. I have spent thousands of my own money on therapy. My P has a beach house, a mountain house and a lake house. I think he should allow me the use of one of these yearly since I have been buying them for him all these years. This year, for the first time, I finally will be reimbursed 70% of the expense with the new insurance plan my office has signed on with. Halleluia!!!!!!!!!! I feel as if I will be making money every time I go to therapy.
I have to pay a $1000 deductible first, since my P is "out of network" and then the reimbursement part kicks in. I've already done that for this year though. By the way the insurance is United Health Care.
Good luck with your search.

I have aetna PPO. I see my Pdoc in NY and have excellent coverage. I pay 80% until I pay out of pocket $2,000. After that I pay nothing and it is covered 100%.

Now, I am also seeing a psychiatrist for therapy. I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

Here is the link to the NY mandated mental health coverage law in NY. http://www.ins.state.ny.us/timothy.htm

You need to find out if you are covered by group health insurance or a school blanket health insurance policy. Group health insurance is insurance that you obtain through an employer or through an association, such as a chamber of commerce. A school blanket health insurance policy covers students enrolled in a college or university who purchase their insurance through the school.

If you are enrolled in Healthy New York or Child Health Plus, or you are covered under or purchase your own insurance directly from an insurance company, the benefits of Timothy's Law do not apply to you.

Unfortunately, anxiety is not listed or classified as a biologically based illness. Make sure your therapist is using the DSM # for a panic disorder. Panic disorder (is an anxiety disorder).

Let me know if you have further questions.

One more thing for those of you who have not been reimbursed. This is for you Holding on, In NY this law went into effect in 2007. I would check your state's websites to see when the parity law went into effect. Because you may be able to get reimbursed for past years.

Most insurance companies are not going to reimburse you unless you ask for it.