Are our marriage counseling sessions covered by insurance? It depends. Insurance companies are still in the business of making money, and so they tend to only cover mental health services that directly relate to issues in your life that could be impacted by an immediate injury or illness.
Marriage counseling, however, doesn’t necessarily focus on any issues that could result in injury or illness, so it might not be covered by insurance — but it could be! Here’s what you need to know about marriage counseling and insurance coverage before you schedule your first appointment.
Why Does It Matter If Marriage Counselling is Covered by Insurance?
There are a few reasons that it’s important to know if marriage counseling is covered by insurance. For starters, couples that don’t have to pay for sessions out of pocket tend to come more often and for longer sessions.
The more frequently you attend counseling sessions, usually means greater improvements and a better long-term outlook on your marriage.
Couples who struggle with knowing how much coverage they have can also start treatment later than intended or skip therapy altogether because they were worried about cost.
Some insurers will only cover one type of counseling such as individual therapy versus marriage counseling; make sure you understand what types of treatments your health insurer will cover so you aren’t caught off guard later on down the road.
How Do I Get It Covered By My Health Plan?
Many health insurance plans have limited mental health coverage, and marriage counseling is often excluded from those that do.
However, if you feel your marriage needs help, find out how to get your marriage counseling paid for.
Sometimes it’s as simple as talking to your employer or contacting your insurance provider and explaining that you need to see a therapist or marital counselor.
Other times, particularly with benefits provided through an employer-sponsored plan, you may be able to access coverage through a spouse’s or partner’s policy or by purchasing supplemental coverage.
Either way, if you want to ensure your marriage counseling is covered under your insurance plan, start by taking steps before seeking treatment.
What Do I Tell My Doctor When I Arrive At The Clinic For The First Time?
Answering questions when visiting a medical clinic can feel overwhelming. However, if you are going to seek medical treatment, it is best to know what you need to do beforehand so that your appointment can be covered by insurance.
It’s easy to forget some details, but if you prepare well before your appointment, these questions will be answered in full and with as little stress as possible.
When you are meeting with your doctor for your first appointment, some important questions need to be answered to ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Depending on what insurance plan you have, there will be different criteria for what is eligible for coverage.
The first question your doctor should ask before scheduling any appointments is whether or not you have had previous surgery or treatments.
If so, it’s important to bring in all of your medical records and even copies of X-rays to help your doctor understand exactly what he or she is dealing with in terms of past procedures and conditions.
Are There Any Other Options Available To Me To Reduce Or Cover the Cost of This Therapy?
The first step in seeking mental health treatment is to call your insurance company. They will advise if you have a mental health benefits package and what is/isn’t included.
From there, they can refer you to a counselor who will not only accept your type of coverage but also match your needs with appropriate clinicians.
Oftentimes, several mental health professionals accept specific types of coverages so it’s important to shop around!
If you don’t already have an insurance plan that provides mental health coverage, one option would be to look into Medigap plans.
Medigap plans (Medicare Supplemental Insurance) are an alternative to original Medicare. In addition to covering hospital and medical expenses, some Medigap insurance also covers prescription drugs, dental services, and even mental health care.
The best way to find out what your Medigap plan covers is to check directly with your insurer or agent!
If you’re concerned about cost, be sure to ask whether there are any limits on how much of your treatment will be covered as well as if there is a deductible.
What Happens When You Confront Your Spouse with What Was Discussed in Session and They Reject Help Outright
Now, what do you do if your spouse doesn’t think they need any help at all and won’t even entertain a discussion about therapy or counseling?
This is not uncommon and it puts you in a very tough position. You don’t want to push your partner away, because you know things are wrong in your relationship and if they won’t go on their own, then maybe they need some encouragement to have that first step on their own.
What can you do when your spouse flat-out refuses marriage counseling or wants nothing to do with it?
If it’s your partner who refuses help, you need to respect their wishes. Don’t try to force them into counseling even if you think they need it.
If your spouse won’t go in on their own, don’t be surprised if they come around later and decide that marriage counseling is a good idea after all.
The point of marriage counseling is not just to have them make small changes or decisions but also to have time alone with a therapist who can figure out what needs fixing and what needs changing in your relationship.
Therapy should help both of you grow as individuals and learn new ways of approaching each other in positive ways that will lead to lasting change.
Who Should Attend Couples Counselling and Who Should Not Attend?
According to a recent survey, it was found that as many as 40% of all divorces could have been avoided if couples had attended counseling at some point during their marriage.
This means that in many cases, couples will benefit from attending couple’s counseling or marriage counseling before ending their relationship and filing for divorce.
So what should you consider when deciding whether or not to attend marriage counseling? The following guide will help you answer that question so you can make an informed decision about whether marriage therapy is right for your situation.
If you are going through an emotionally difficult time, talking with someone outside of your relationship may be able to help resolve issues and get your relationship back on track.
However, there are also some situations in which attending couple’s therapy is not recommended.
Tips on Attending Couples Therapy as an Emotionally Stable Person
While there are many challenges to attending couples therapy, emotionally stable people have an advantage over emotionally volatile people:
You’re able to get more out of it. Here are some tips on getting what you need while at couples therapy. Emotionally unstable people tend to make attendance at counseling less beneficial than they could be because they don’t manage their emotions as well as they should.
The therapist can talk all day long about how important it is for a couple to take ownership of their relationship, but if one person is constantly throwing his or her spouse under a bus then that is never going to happen.
If someone isn’t ready for therapy and just wants a go-to person then there will be little progress made too.