08/27/2024
Grateful to ProPublica for publishing this important statement on America's mental health crisis. Private insurance companies make up the majority of insurers for mental health services, and yet many therapists have left those networks because of the abysmal treatment they have experienced, leaving very few in-network providers and thereby decreasing access for those who can't afford private pay.
Before this year, I was in network with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and, after fighting for years (!) for reimbursement for services provided to clients, unexplained clawbacks and absolutely NO customer service to help right their wrongs, I left the network. I now only accept traditional Medicare, which is a federally funded program, because they trust that as an LCSW, I know better than they do about how to treat my clients and they pay for those services without question.
We should do everything in our power to maintain Medicare as a right for all who age into eligibility. And know that Medicare Advantage plans are NOT traditional Medicare. They are private insurance companies that take over Medicare benefits and dole them out as they want (i.e. saving them money). Don't be fooled by these plans. The best healthcare coverage an American can have currently in this country is traditional Medicare with a supplemental plan that covers what Medicare does not cover. If you or someone you love is eligible for Medicare, please research the difference before choosing to opt out of traditional Medicare.
Moral of this long-winded story: Private insurance companies are not taking care of their beneficiaries, nor are they taking care of their providers, which is causing the mental health crisis we are in.
Those who need therapy often have to pay out of pocket or go without care, even if they have health insurance. Hundreds of mental health providers told us they fled networks because insurers made their jobs impossible and their lives miserable.