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INSURANCE ACCEPTED |
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If you are using health insurance (other than EAP services) coverage is approved with diagnosis codes that indicate a mental illness. Insurance companies must justify payments for counseling and/or psychiatric services; a mental illness, then, necessitates treatment. LaRose bills insurance companies (and also works with several EAP programs). Diagnosis is determined in mental health practice, rather quickly; some diagnosis codes are not covered by health insurance (diagnosis will be discussed in the initial meeting to address any privacy or billing questions). Remembering that most insurance companies require a diagnosis in order to pay for your treatment, and that not all diagnoses are covered, doesnt mean mental health services are not necessary. Any diagnosis that can be found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR (published by the American Psychiatric Association and used by all US mental health professionals) is sufficient to suggest some kind of therapy services (whether covered by your insurance or not). How long will counseling services last? Diagnosis can be helpful, particularly in the case of a more severe disorder; and there may be times when something is going on, but a diagnosis is not really what is needed for effective treatment. Many diagnoses are mild, requiring little to no treatment, while others are more severe requiring frequent or intense treatment. Insurance companies are most likely going to pay for a mental illness that is in the latter category, rather than the former (but this is not always the case). In either regard, you can ask the provider, if youre billing your health insurance, what diagnosis is being made, how the diagnosis is made, and what the long term and short term implications of a mental illness diagnosis might be (for example, will a diagnosis affect a career decision or a school decision, etc. etc.). Read more here about Diagnosis Pros & Cons... Sometimes an insurance company will request records about your diagnosis and treatment in order to approve payment or to approve continued treatment. Mental health professionals obtain written permission to send information to your insurance company. You will give the written permission when you sign the intake and insurance consent form billing. One way to keep a mental illness diagnosis from being sent to your insurance company, should that be one of your concerns, is to ask the mental health provider NOT to bill your insurance company. Providers generally would rather avoid the insurance paperwork, and you can easily pay the provider directly.
Whether you will be using insurance, whether there is a diagnosis, or if you have general questions about the mental health process, some providers offer initial consultations, free of charge. Initial consultations can help alleviate a part of the stress that often accompanies the selection of a mental health provider. Americans shop for automobiles, houses, and clothingwhy not consider interviewing the therapistbefore you enter into a therapeutic relationship? Mental health providers are licensed to assess, diagnose and treat mental illness; regulatory boards set licensure requirements (usually based upon national examination) and continuing education standards are usually ongoing (and mandatory). Florida has published a Patient Bill of Rights that can also help consumers as they consider whether or not mental health services is something theyre comfortable in pursuing. |
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If you are seeing a mental health professional it is very likely that you have been given a diagnosis. This is especially true if you are using your health insurance to pay for mental health services. Certain EAP services DO NOT necessarily require a mental illness diagnosis. If youve not been told what your diagnosis is, you might want to ask. Such information can be useful in furthering your understanding of the diagnosis and how the disorder is most commonly treated. |
