Is Therapy Covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield?

What Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover?

There are several different plans within the umbrella of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) insurance company. Thanks to the 2014 Affordable Care Act, most of these health insurance policies cover a large portion of the cost of mental health care and behavioral health treatments, and in some cases, all of your care may be paid for by insurance.

Mental health treatment centers will often provide different types of therapies and holistic treatments, some of which may not be deemed necessary by BCBS. This means that evidence-based treatments like psychoanalysis, applied behavioral analysis, group therapy, emergency mental health care, and some medications are usually covered by insurance, whereas alternative treatments and services provided outside of a therapeutic environment will not be paid for by your insurance plan.

If your insurance plan is provided through your employer, they may also have made customizations to which benefits are offered. For these reasons, it is always a good idea to check what types of treatments and medications will be covered by your individual plan before beginning treatment. This way, there will be no financial surprises later on.

 

How Can I Check Blue Cross Blue Shield Coverage for Therapy?

Blue Cross Blue Shield makes it easy for policyholders to check what types of treatments and medications are covered. All you have to do is log in to your BCBS member account online, using their website or a mobile app on your phone, and then navigate to the “Go to My Coverage” section. Click on “Medical,” then “What’s Covered.” There is a section about behavioral health care, mental health care, and substance use treatment that you can look through to see what types of care your plan will pay for, what the requirements are to obtain these services, what the copays and deductibles will be, and how much each plan will pay for the services that are covered.

Are There Deductibles or Copays for Therapy Covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield?

When accessing therapy covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield (or any insurance company, for that matter), you will first need to meet your deductible amount before the coverage kicks in. What this means is that if your insurance policy says you have a $200 deductible for behavioral therapy followed by 100% coverage once it is met, you must pay the first $200 out of pocket, and then after that is paid, the rest will be covered by your insurance.

Copays are a fixed amount that you must pay for every visit to your care provider or every treatment session you undertake. For example, your policy may state that you have to pay 20% of the cost of each visit yourself and your insurance will cover the other 80%, or it may say that you have to pay $30 for each visit, and insurance will cover the remainder.

Before you begin treatment, you need to know whether you have deductibles and copays for mental health services, so you can financially prepare yourself for each visit. You may need to pay the total cost of treatment for the first few visits to meet your deductible, and you may also need to bring a certain amount of money with you to each subsequent visit for the copay amount.

 

Do I Need a Referral for Therapy Covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield?

Generally speaking, people with an HMO plan will need a referral from their primary care provider to ensure the treatments meet their plan’s requirements. If you have a PPO plan, you may not need a referral, but in some cases, especially if you are coming for inpatient treatment, prior authorization may be required before your claim can be put through or before services are provided. This can be done through your doctor as well.

Each insurance plan is different, and it can be difficult to understand when a referral is needed. If you are uncertain, you can always call customer care at Blue Cross Blue Shield using the phone number on the back of your identification card, and they will help you determine whether referrals are required for your individual case.

Alter Behavioral Health Accepts Insurance for Treatment

You can come to Alter Behavioral Health to access mental health therapy covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield. We are an evidence-based treatment center that offers formal care similar to that of a psychiatric hospital, with multi-dimensional treatment programs that incorporate a variety of individualized therapy treatments to promote whole-patient wellness.

At Alter, we treat several types of mental disorders, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Autism co-occurring disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Trauma and PTSD
• ADHD
• Schizophrenia
• Borderline personality disorder
• Dissociative identity disorder

It can be hard to know where to turn when it becomes difficult to take care of yourself or loved ones, go to work, attend classes, or otherwise cope with stress and live your life generally due to a mental health condition. If you have an ongoing mental health concern that is not life-threatening or dangerous in nature and is unsure where to start, please call Alter at 866-647-2716. We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance and will help you determine your next step.

 

Call Alter Behavioral Health to Learn About Therapy Covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield

To learn more about the types of therapy covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield and how to get the help you need, please call Alter today at 866-647-2716. We provide specialized care to help deal with primary mental health disorders, using trauma-informed treatment methods with evidence-based and holistic treatments. Our support options can help with medication management, recovery and safe planning, behavioral therapy, family and community support, and nutrition and recreation services in an integrated approach to whole-person wellness.

Our compassionate team of skilled therapists and clinicians understands that getting the proper diagnosis is key to effective and efficient treatment, so we take the time with each of our patients to truly understand what is happening and look at a wide range of symptoms to make sure that they receive the proper diagnosis and care. We then combine social, educational, physical, and psychological care that is individualized to each patient for a whole-patient approach to healing.

Your treatment can continue beyond your stay inside our facility, as we also offer long-term virtual continuing care through Mindfuli. This helpful online platform provides a wide range of services to help support you and your family. When you are admitted to our facilities, you will be onboarded with the site and then paired with a care counselor for access to convenient, long-term online peer support.

To learn more about how Alter can help you or a loved one with a mental health condition, or if you have any further questions regarding your Blue Cross Blue Shield therapy coverage, please call our Irvine Mental Health Treatment , California, team at 866-205-1207 or contact us online. We are here to help you.