Insurance Super User Are You Covered by My Insurance? (For Medicare, see below.) Many clients choose NOT to use their insurance coverage, even when they have it. Here's why. Health insurance may cover all or a portion of counseling or psychotherapy. Even if you have some insurance coverage for counseling or psychotherapy, you may decide it is better not to use it. (Many of our clients do exactly this). Why? There are several reasons. First, even where there is some insurance coverage, most policies provide for very limited services. You might have a plan that pays something like 50% of fees with a maximum of $1,000 per year (after the deductible is met). Or you may have a plan that limits the number of sessions per year to a very small number. In either case, most of the time you will find that your insurance coverage doesn’t amount to much to begin with. Second, if you do choose to use your insurance, you will usually be giving up both your privacy and your right to decide what help you want to receive. When you file an insurance claim, you give the insurance company the right to review your records in detail. This data gets stored in a database for future use. The company closely manages the services you receive, determining both the nature and the extent of those services. In short, by using your insurance, you end up giving up a lot of privacy and control over your life for very little financial benefit. Before you become a client, I will go over all of the options with you, and, with an understanding of all of the facts, you'll be able to make the best decision for you. What About Medicare? I am pleased to accept traditional Medicare with a Medicare Supplement policy, so in most cases, you're covered. If you have traded your traditional Medicare for a so-called Medicare Advantage Plan, we'll need to check with your insurance company to see what they will cover.
