# Not a good idea to use insurance for therapy?



## LoungeFly (Jun 25, 2011)

I am wondering if I can get some thoughts on this. I was reading a website, on how if you get a classification of depressed, or some other mental illness, it could hinder you in the future of getting insurance, as it goes on your record. Can anyone tell me more about this? Is it not the best idea to use insurance?


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## Michael127 (Dec 10, 2011)

I used some insurance through my work for therapy. The counsellour/psychiatrist just had to send in receipts, so that I could be reimbursed for the therapy. From my experience, he did not talk about my issues to anyone else. I live in Canada.


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## LoungeFly (Jun 25, 2011)

s2panda said:


> Your information is confidential unless you pose a danger to yourself / others, need more info / help from other medical professionals, etc. The insurance company has no way of knowing why you're seeing a psychiatrist, psychologist, etc.


What I was reading was saying that in order for them to accept coverage, they need a diagnosis. Now, say, you get a diagnosis of depression, or even let's just say social anxiety. Whatever it may be, they have a right to know what they are covering. Say they choose to yes, we will cover that. A couple years later, you switch insurance, and it shows you are treated/were treated for depression. It would be pretty terrible to get denied coverage based on something you are trying to get help for now.

I dunno. Maybe I'm making a bigger deal out of this than it should be, but I read that and it get the wheels turning, and thinking....oh, so it might not be a good idea to use insurance.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

LoungeFly said:


> It would be pretty terrible to get denied coverage based on something you are trying to get help for now.


Yes, that would be terrible, but it cannot happen. Under Obamacare insurance companies can no longer turn you down for pre-existing conditions. This would be how I now have insurance despite my mental disorders. Insurance companies don't even ask about your health (other than if you smoke) because they can't use your health as a factor. They have to cover you no matter what conditions you may have. Simple as that.


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## LoungeFly (Jun 25, 2011)

I hope you're right. Don't insurance companies still have the right to not cover things?

Last time I even went to a doctor was in November, and my blood work wasn't covered. Which I found a little.....odd. Two or three blood tests, over $200. Boo.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

UltraShy said:


> Yes, that would be terrible, but it cannot happen. Under Obamacare insurance companies can no longer turn you down for pre-existing conditions. This would be how I now have insurance despite my mental disorders. Insurance companies don't even ask about your health (other than if you smoke) because they can't use your health as a factor. They have to cover you no matter what conditions you may have. Simple as that.


 That may be true, but now the doctors can help only in the way Obamacare directs them to, even if it is not what you want. It's what Obamacare wants, not the patient.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

LoungeFly said:


> I hope you're right. Don't insurance companies still have the right to not cover things?


There are certain things they're required to cover, though they're not required to cover everything.



LoungeFly said:


> Last time I even went to a doctor was in November, and my blood work wasn't covered. Which I found a little.....odd. Two or three blood tests, over $200. Boo.


Yeah, I know blood work can be expensive. I had a visit in November that cost me $420 with four blood tests.


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## Morpheus (May 26, 2006)

It used to be that most health insurance plans would not cover what they called "pre-existing conditions." Any health problem you had that you were diagnosed with prior to purchasing the insurance is a pre-existing condition. This mostly only applied to plans you purchased as an individual - if you got your insurance through work than your employer usually required the insurance to cover pre-existing conditions as a condition of buying it. Obamacare requires all insurance plans to cover pre-existing conditions - they can no longer refuse to cover something simply because you had it before you got the insurance. They can choose not to cover many other things for other reasons, though. For example, they could choose not to cover bloodwork - but they would have to apply that to everyone on the same plan and not just people with pre-existing conditions. They can no longer discriminate against the later. So your concerns might have been valid a few years ago, but Obamacare has eliminated them.


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## LoungeFly (Jun 25, 2011)

My grandfathered plan does not have ANY mental health coverage.

furthermore.....since I mentioned anxiety and depression at my annual physical, my labs were not covered, since they said the labs were to diagnose mental health. It's close to $300

I could just cry. In fact.....I am


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## Morpheus (May 26, 2006)

Sorry.  Sounds like you need a better health insurance plan.


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## Lokis Whispers (Feb 24, 2012)

LoungeFly said:


> My grandfathered plan does not have ANY mental health coverage.
> 
> furthermore.....since I mentioned anxiety and depression at my annual physical, my labs were not covered, since they said the labs were to diagnose mental health. It's close to $300
> 
> I could just cry. In fact.....I am


You should talk to your doctor about what your insurance isn't covering.

I see a doctor to get a bunch of blood tests done every six months and it usually ran me about $400 because my insurance only covered a certain percentage for that type of doctor visit. When I told my doctor about it, he wrote it down as a different type of visit that my insurance covered more of, and I only wound up paying $60.

Many doctors are really understanding about that kind of thing, they can put a different reason down for your labs and possibly lower the price!


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## LoungeFly (Jun 25, 2011)

They are gonna resubmit it. I pray some gets taken away. The thought of paying that for blood work really upsets me. I never even got the results. I could of actually used that money towards getting an actual diagnosis on my anxiety and depression.


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## jimjam (Aug 22, 2012)

LoungeFly said:


> They are gonna resubmit it. I pray some gets taken away. The thought of paying that for blood work really upsets me. I never even got the results. I could of actually used that money towards getting an actual diagnosis on my anxiety and depression.


Funny thing, I actually had a very similar experience. My old insurance allowed for one annual free check-up.

I went in, they check your breathing, blood pressure, look in your eyes, check your ears, ask you questions. Then I peed in a cup, pricked my finger, then drew an ounce of blood from my arm. I got a bill two weeks later saying I owed $400 for lab work! It was for multiple blood tests and the urine test.

Funny thing, I didn't even get the results back. They called me and said "you were dehydrated, so we need to do all the labs again." There is NO way I was dehydrated. I drank sooo much water when I was in the damn waiting room.

I didn't even get any papers telling me the false results. They were just like, "you need to do it again. And drink more water next time." Yeah, and pay all that money? NOPE.

Insurance really is an awful scam.


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## chickenfett (Jun 2, 2011)

As part of the Affordable Care Act, it is illegal to deny someone coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Also, you live in Wisconsin - a state with fairly reputable healthcare exchanges. I am sure they have plans specifically for depression.


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