Why Is Therapy So Expensive?

After a bout of breakup-induced anxiety and depression, 31-year-old New York City resident Emily Taylor decided to look for a therapist. But finding a mental health professional to accept her Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance plan proved to be nearly impossible. “I spent days looking for therapists near me that were covered by my insurance,” Taylor said. “For the very few I did find, I spent over five hours on the phone trying to get appointments, [only] to find that they were either not accepting new patients or the wait time was two months.” Taylor was able to locate plenty of highly reviewed therapists available for private pay, however. But since the average cost of therapy in New York is $200 to $300 per session, according to one report, that wasn’t a practical solution. Many people struggle to find talk-based therapy that’s covered by their insurance plans. Of all practicing medical professionals, therapists are the least likely to take insurance. Only 55 percent of psychiatrists accept insurance plans, compared to 89 percent of other health care providers, like cardiologists, dermatologists and podiatrists, according to a 2014 study published in JAMA Psychiatry.  That’s a big problem, since approximately 1 in 5 Americans will experience some sort of mental health disorder in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Many will also seek counseling for divorce or grief. Trea...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news