What are the first steps to pay with insurance?
Confused about how to pay for mental healthcare with your insurance? First, learn more about your coverage by following these steps:
1. Find your insurance card.
2. Call your insurance company. The phone number is likely on the back of your card and may be listed under "behavioral health service" or "member services." Keep in mind that some insurance companies are open 24/7 and others are only available during workday hours.
3. Get information about your benefits.
After dialing the behavioral health services or customer-call phone number, you will be connected to an operator and eventually to a representative from your insurance company. They will ask you to verify some information to ensure that you’re covered by the insurance plan. When they ask why you called, you could say, “I want to find out what benefits I have to cover mental health services."
To learn how much your plan requires you to pay each time you go to a provider, ask how much you would pay per session. This payment is called a ‘copay’ or ‘coinsurance.’ Some insurance plans have an amount that you have to pay out-of-pocket first; this is called a ‘deductible.’ Once you pay that amount, your insurance company will cover part or all of your visit depending on your coverage.
Insurance plans tend to vary, so it is important to look over the questions to keep in mind when learning about your insurance benefits.