Why Does Insurance Handle Mental Health Different From Other Health Conditions?!
Question: For years most insurance coverages have treated mental heath care different than other types of heath care.
The copays are usually 80/20 for a person who deals with an ailment like diabetes.
The copay for someone who has clinical depression is usually 50/50.
I would believe the 1994 American with Disabilities Act would prohibit this.
Obviously not and it seems this is standard practice in the insurance industry.
Since each are medical conditions with a mortality risk, how can they (insurance) do this?
Answers: For years most insurance coverages have treated mental heath care different than other types of heath care.
The copays are usually 80/20 for a person who deals with an ailment like diabetes.
The copay for someone who has clinical depression is usually 50/50.
I would believe the 1994 American with Disabilities Act would prohibit this.
Obviously not and it seems this is standard practice in the insurance industry.
Since each are medical conditions with a mortality risk, how can they (insurance) do this?
It's actually in the process of being changed on the Federal level.
However, since most individuals in the US have their insurance through their employer, if the employer writes the policy themselves, and pays all the medical expenses out of their own check book, they get to make the rules. But even they must follow the Federal Guidelines.
Which is why you have limitations not only on Mental Health, but even Chiropractic/Physical Therapy. Even Preventative Care!
Why do I know this? I work in the healthcare insurance industry.
I am actually in my psych portion of nursing school right now. Mental health is nortorious for not having the same coverage as medical problems. Why? No one can explain, probably because a huge portion of the population is or can be diagnosed with a mental condition and why would insurance companies pay for all those people?
until one of those high priced politicians who set these guidelines deals with this mental illness it wont change...when it affects their life then maybe we see a difference
You do NOT have to declare your mental health problem to anyone, not to the insurance, nor your employer, or any body (except your therapist, obviously).
So, no one should charge you extra
Because in insurance world, there is no such thing as terminal depression, never mind the suicide rate.