HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR COUNSELLING?
The world of insurance is one that is stressful and at times confusing. Finding a clinician who is covered under your insurance plan can be a timely process but will provide you with a sense of comfort knowing you are covered. Let’s say you already have a booked a session with a clinician who charges $150 per session. If their services are not covered under your insurance plan, you would be responsible for the cost. But, if your insurance plan offers reimbursement, you can get either the full amount or a portion of the cost refunded back to you by submitting a claim. This depends entirely on your extended health care coverage plan. Some insurance plans cover a range of services, such as therapy, medical management, psychological testing services, and more.
How Do I Determine My Insurance Coverage?
You can determine what is covered by logging into your online account and checking your “summary of benefits and coverage” to determine what services you are covered for. Your summary of benefits and coverage is often sent to you when you enroll in a health plan, and it can also be found on your insurer’s website. Our recommendation is to always call your provider to get the most accurate and up to date information! Another helpful tip is to ask for your annual amount and sessional limit, this will help you put things into perspective.
If I Have Coverage, Can I See Anyone?
Even if your plan says mental health is covered, it doesn’t mean all forms of mental health services are included. Certain providers may only offer coverage for specific services. Let’s say you call your insurance provider and determine you have coverage for a clinician who holds a Masters of Social Work but you have found a Registered Social Worker who does not have a Masters that you feel comfortable working with. Since your coverage requires a Masters of Social Work you would not be reimbursed for the session payments if you did book with that Registered Social Worker. That’s why it is always better to call your insurance provider to get all the information if you are looking to use your insurance! Some of the insurance companies include Manulife, SunLife, Canada Life, Blue Cross, Green Shield, Equitable Life, but there are many others!
Is Counselling Covered by OHIP?
It is important to note that, Registered Psychotherapists, Social Workers, and Psychologists working in private practices are not covered by OHIP! The only clinicians who would be covered under OHIP would be a qualified General Practitioner or a Psychiatrist. Other mental health care providers, such as Psychologists and Social Workers, may also be covered if they work in government-funded hospitals so it doesn’t hurt to give them a call to double check.
Do I Get Insurance Coverage from My College or University?
Many colleges and universities in Canada provide health care coverage to their students! The best way to determine what you are covered for as a student is to get in touch with your school. Every college or university would have different student insurance plans, but you may be surprised to find out how much coverage you have!
Does Anchoridge Offer Direct Billing?
We do not offer direct billing at Anchoridge but submitting a claim for reimbursement is simple! Once your session payment is processed, you will receive detailed invoice in your email. On your invoice you will find all the information needed to submit a claim to your insurance provider in the Item section. It will have the clinicians name, license number, type of session, and cost all listed. If it is your first time submitting a claim, you may have to manually input all the information when submitting the claim but once it is done, the clinician will show up automatically for you!
Is Insurance the Main Factor for the Clinician I am Matched With?
During our intake sessions, and on your intake form, we ask about insurance coverage. This is simply so we take your coverage, if applicable, into consideration when matching you with a clinician. Insurance is not the determining factor; our main goal is to find someone you feel supported by and comfortable with!
Thanks for reading,
Dana Qablawi
