Source: State of Colorado
Every year, October is designated as Substance Use Prevention Month & National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month. In support of this effort, the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), is sharing our consumer resources to help people access behavioral and mental health care using their insurance.
Getting behavioral and mental health care is often a challenge – from overcoming stigma, to understanding what’s covered and what it will cost, to finding the right provider to meet your needs.
“Your mental health is just as important as your physical health,” said Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway. “And just like physical health care, it’s important to be able to access preventative services. The Division has a number of resources to help Coloradans understand their insurance and get the care they need.”
Check out these resources created to help people navigate insurance and their mental health benefits.
Understanding Your Mental Health Insurance Benefits
How to Use Your Insurance to Find a Mental Health Provider
Mental / Behavioral Health and Insurance
Behavioral Health Administration’s Low-Cost Care Directory
Other Mental Health Parity and Insurance Information
The DOI has developed resources for Coloradans who have questions about how their insurance covers mental health and substance use disorder services. Federal and Colorado law require that health insurance companies cover services for mental and behavioral health conditions like they cover other medical conditions, like diabetes or heart disease – this is called “Mental Health Parity.” There are Mental Health Parity requirements on issues that include:
- What you pay: Copays, coinsurance, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums (collectively referred to as cost-sharing) should be the same for physical and mental/behavioral health services
- How much treatment you can get: Limitations on the use of services, such as limits on the number of inpatient or outpatient visits that are covered
- Utilization management tools: Such as step therapy requirements. For many benefits, Colorado law protects patients from being required to try something less expensive before their doctor’s recommended treatment plan
- Prior authorizations: Requiring patients to get prior authorization for behavioral health treatment, when that’s not required for similar medical treatment, may be a violation of mental health parity
- Which doctors you can see: Having adequate health care providers in-network to provide necessary services, coverage for out-of-network providers, and considerations for geographic location
Visit our website on Mental / Behavioral Health and Insurance to learn more. Your mental and behavioral health matters.
