Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Raise Awareness of Insurance Coverage for Mental Health Services During Mental Health Awareness Month

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Division of Commerce & Insurance coverage (“TDCI”) joins the Tennessee Division of Psychological Well being and Substance Abuse Companies (“TDMHSAS”) to remind Tennesseans that Could is acknowledged as Psychological Well being Consciousness Month, a time to mirror and assist people that suffer from psychological well being sicknesses.  

As is the case with many bodily sicknesses, medical remedy for psychological sicknesses might be pricey. TDCI encourages Tennesseans and their family members that suffer from a psychological well being sickness to know how insurance coverage might assist cowl the price of remedy. Beneath the Psychological Well being Parity and Dependancy Fairness Act of 2008, any medical insurance plan that covers psychological well being remedy should match its protection with the plan’s bodily well being protection. This is applicable to copays, deductibles, the variety of days lined for a hospital keep, prior authorization, prescription drug tiers, and most profit limits. 

“It’s simply as very important to take care of an individual’s emotional, psychological, and psychological well-being as it’s to take care of an individual’s bodily well-being,” mentioned TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence. “We’re grateful for the chance to work with our colleagues on the Tennessee Division of Psychological Well being and Substance Abuse Companies to assist increase consciousness of this vital problem.” 

“There’s no distinction between diabetes or hypertension or psychological sickness. They’re all long-term sicknesses that may be managed with the assistance of medical professionals,” mentioned TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams, LCSW. “With our companions at TDCI, we’re excited to work towards a future the place all Tennesseans simply entry the psychological well being providers they want.” 

What you could find out about psychological well being protection 

• Contact your medical insurance firm to study in case your coverage covers psychological well being and substance abuse remedy. 
• In case your plan does, then the psychological well being remedy limitations have to be equal to bodily well being providers. For instance, in case your copay is $30 for bodily well being providers, it should  be $30 for psychological well being providers. In case your plan covers 40 bodily remedy visits, your plan should cowl 40 behavioral well being visits. 
• Remedy for these providers might embody remedy, behavioral counseling, in-patient and out-patient remedy, and drugs administration. 
• Your well being plan ought to present a listing of in-network professionals and amenities which can be near you. If a supplier doesn’t settle for insurance coverage, contact your medical insurance firm and ask when you can file claims after receiving the remedy to assist cowl a portion of the price. 

For added steerage, TDCI issued this bulletin associated to psychological well being providers and created this client video to assist clarify psychological well being parity to customers. 

Questions or issues about protection 

Tennesseans who’ve their declare denied or imagine their insurance coverage firm shouldn’t be overlaying psychological providers on the similar price as bodily providers ought to file a grievance with TDCI.  

TDCI’s Shopper Insurance coverage Companies staff will mediate between the buyer and the insurance coverage firm to assist facilitate an answer. In 2021, Shopper Insurance coverage Companies recovered $8.2 million from insurance coverage corporations for Tennesseans by means of these efforts. 

To file a grievance, go to TDCI’s web site, choose File a Grievance, then full and submit the net grievance type.  

For extra data, name 615-741-2218 or 1-800-342-4029. 

TDCI encourages anybody who has ideas of self-harm to contact the Tennessee Disaster Line at 1-855-274-7471. 

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