05/05/2022
Let’s talk about cost! Therapy is considered to be notoriously expensive. However, that’s only because it is often not paid for in the way that other medical expenses are. Often, therapists have to go out of the insurance system in order to be paid a decent wage for their work, while other healthcare workers are often paid well for their services, it is not so for most therapists.
They pay therapists who also require a similar amount of schooling, give or take a year or two (i.e academic rigor, and student debt, training and testing to be licensed) a quarter of the rate.
On top of that, insurance companies only pay half their rates in fees and half of that or more comes from your co-pay. They often reject payments without explanation.
Furthermore, insurance companies make therapists sign confidentialty clauses preventing them from publicizing or disclosing what therapists are paid for their services, which hampers advocacy.
If you do need to use insurance, however, there are many ways to find out what therapist is covered by your insurance. You can use tools like Psychology Today, Inclusive Therapists, Therapy Den, and many more, which are all great options for ensuring that you find a therapist who takes your insurance.
Companies like Alma or Path try to make this process seamless. And services like Advekit try to utilize your out-of-network benefits to get you covered. They work with your insurances to utilize the portion of your benefits that you are entitled to, and pay for, but often go unused.
Lastly, if you really cannot afford the full rate of your therapist, or insurance does not cover it, you can try options like Open Path, or ask your therapist if they have a sliding scale fee.
These are some cost effective ways to ensure that therapy is accessible to you. If you are truly unable to afford therapy, you may qualify for coverage through your state’s Medicaid program.
If all else fails, you can also use support materials, like Depression: A Guidebook, a therapeutic journal that offers evidence-based therapy sessions through guided exercises to improve your symptoms until you can find full care.
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