If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), one of your first questions may be whether or not BPD treatment is covered under your insurance plan. Dealing with insurance companies is almost never an easy task, so it will help to know what questions to ask when you make the call.
Here are a few questions to ask insurance companies about Borderline Personality Disorder treatment that may help clarify your options:
- Find out if you have out-of-network benefits. If you do, then you will be responsible for out-of-pocket payments to a BPD treatment center and will have to seek reimbursement from your insurance provider.
- Ask if there is a separate deductible for mental health treatment and how much it is.
- Find out how many BPD treatment sessions are covered under your plan and what portion of the related fees are covered by your insurance.
Coverage for BPD Treatment
Many insurance companies do not cover treatment for Axis II diagnoses, which Borderline Personality Disorder falls under. Instead, you may need to seek treatment for BPD-related issues such as anxiety or depression, which insurers generally view as less likely to require long-term treatment.
While any treatment is better than no treatment, Borderline Personality Disorder cannot be effectively treated in the short term.
Other Options for BPD Treatment Coverage
If you find that you’ve hit a brick wall after asking the above questions, you will need to move ahead in other ways. This may mean having to pay everything out-of-pocket, but it is also possible that your Borderline Personality Disorder therapist may be willing to speak with your insurer and advocate on your behalf. They can explain that long-term treatment can actually benefit the insurer by reducing other medical issues related to BPD (such as substance abuse, suicide attempts, and cutting).
When insurance isn’t an option when it comes to treating your Borderline Personality Disorder, the best thing you can do is speak frankly with your BPD therapist and ask them for suggestions about how to move forward. There may be short-term realizable goals that can be effectively reached if your BPD treatment sessions remain focused. Discuss this with your therapist and come up with a plan that can help you or your loved one see some results, even if your coverage is limited.
If you are seeking Borderline Personality Disorder treatment at a BPD treatment center, be sure to talk to the staff about your insurance and payment options. Even if a BPD treatment center does not accept insurance to pay for all of your treatment, they may be able to help with insurance reimbursement so that you aren’t paying for everything out-of-pocket.