For those with mental illnesses, health insurance problems can create a big headache. Will your treatment be covered? Just how much is covered? What will happen if something changes? Luckily the ACA, or the Affordable Care Act, has done a great deal of good for those with mental illnesses, as it helped to create a mental health insurance coverage expansion larger than any we’ve seen before, and this can make things much easier for those looking to treat their own illnesses without excess worry.
You may be wondering “How does the ACA help mental health when it comes to insurance coverage?” and the answer is rather simple. One of the requirements of the ACA is that the vast majority of small employer and individual plans offered through the marketplace must include mental health and substance disorder coverage, and this gives those suffering from mental illnesses a big sigh of relief. Rather than sifting through plan after plan, and not finding the coverage you need, you can now rest assured that most of the plans will include varying levels of mental health benefits.
If you’re trying to figure out just what mental health or substance disorder treatments are covered under your plan, you’ll first need to look through your enrollment materials. When you enrolled into your health insurance plan, you will have received a pamphlet or other materials which outline just what services are covered, how much is covered, and what costs you can expect. Somewhere in this information should state how your coverage stands on mental health treatments, and many plans are offering mental health coverage equal or close to other medical treatments or surgeries.
If you can’t find where your mental health coverage is located in your enrollment information, you can always place a call to your insurance provider to ask specifically about this information. Those enrolling using the ACA marketplace will typically receive a simple to understand summary of their coverage, but finding this information could be made more difficult with other private insurance companies. In these instances, we at NAMI recommend contacting your insurance provider to receive an easy to understand outline on where your coverage stands in regards to services related to mental health.
We at NAMI know how confusing and stressful insurance coverage can be in relation to mental health, and we want you to be able to better understand how your coverage can help you. Whether through the ACA, or a private insurance provider, you can take control of your benefits and your mental health by staying informed.
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