Why you should consider using out of network benefits.
- Your therapist MUST give you a diagnosis to bill your insurance. This is a requirement in order for a therapist to get paid for your session. This applies for all types and counseling. This diagnosis will follow you and can be found in the future when someone is searching for a pre-existing illness and is especially important for someone to consider in particular jobs such as law enforcement, government jobs and FBI.
- You don’t get to choose your insurance company chooses instead. If you want to find a therapist that specializes in your particular issues that profession may not be on your insurance panel. This would prevent you from being able to access the care you deserve. Sometimes clients change their employer and have to change their insurance company and their provider may not be contracted with their medical doctor or their counselor forcing a person to “start over” with another professional.
- Your treatment and length of treatment are determined by your insurance company. Your insurance panel dictates whom you see, how often, in what way and how many sessions will be covered. There are several types of therapy like couples counseling that are not covered by insurance. If you receive 5 sessions for example from your insurance company then what can you do after the sessions have been completed to continue your counseling.
For some clients, it makes sense to use insurance but if you have the resources to pay out of pocket you should consider the benefits of protecting your privacy and being able to determine the type of counseling you receive and how you receive it. Many therapists have reasonable rates and if you want to keep your information private then discuss these options with your provider.