Are psychiatrists covered under BC Medical?

Question

I'm having some issues-some relating to me not currently working and I think I should see a psychiatrist. But with me not working I have limited funds and was wondering it they are covered or I have to pay.

Answer 1

my therapist is covered under Blue Cross/Blue Shield.  check with the doctors on your policy list.  every insurance company has to have SOME doctors on it for therapy.  just remember, a Psychiatrist does the meds, and a Psychologist is just for therapy.  you might not need meds, just someone to talk to.  good luck.

Answer 2

It depends upon the plan and your state of residence. In my state most of their plans will pay 50% of the charges after you've paid your deductible. Give your agent or BC a call to find out if your plan will cover you and the requirements.

Answer 3

Since I don't know exactly which medi-cal Managed Care Plan you have, I can't tell you exactly. But here is a link to BC Medi-cal-choose the State Program you have and there is a find Doctor tab on the left margin. That will help you see who is contracted.

http://www.bluecrossca.com/wps/portal/ch...

**You will have to get prior approval from your PCP first!!

Answer 4

To give further info for other posters to use to respond to this question, it should be noted that in BC, Canada, every resident is required to have BC Medical (basic medical coverage that is provided by the provincial government) Services Plan.  This provides basic health services through a government plan.  

It is not as simple as telling the poster to contact his/her "agent" or insurance provider for answers.  Since he/she has already stated that he/she is unemployed, it is unlikely that extended health benefits are at his/her disposal since these plans are usually obtained through employment and rarely purchased as an individual plan due to the extreme cost of purchasing a single plan vs. purchasing a group plan through an employer.  

I did a little digging and found that unfortunately, services of a counselor/psychiatrist is NOT covered via BC Medical.  http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/...

Where about in BC are you?  There might be local programs through your community that might offer assistance.

You can check out the BC division of the Canadian Mental Health Association at http://www.cmha.bc.ca/ to hopefully find more information.  I know they have a number you can call to receive recorded information or you can talk to a volunteer to ask about what programs may be out there for low-income people that might suit your particular personal situation.

I've also sent a message to a counselor in training friend of mine to see if she knows of any programs that might be of use to you.  If I hear back, I'll be sure to post again.

Good luck with your search!!