Does Health Insurance in Canada Covers Mental Illness?

Mental illness is something that’s becoming a lot more widespread in society. During the pandemic’s early days, levels of anxiety and depression were through the roof. While they have come down somewhat since then, they are still worryingly high.

The usual treatments for mental illness are therapy and pharmaceutical drugs. However, these treatments can be very expensive. People who’re on budgets are often unable to afford them, in fact.

A lot of people wonder whether or not health insurance will cover them for mental illness treatment. This post will answer that question, so you know whether or not it’s sensible to take out a plan.

Mental Health Coverage

In answer to this post’s titular question, yes, health insurance does cover mental illness. When you are taking out a health insurance policy, you need to add on an additional mental health component. If you do not, then you won’t be able to use your health insurance to pay for pharmaceutical drugs and mental health treatments, like therapy. It’s essential that you compare health insurance quotes when you’re looking for a policy, so you can find the most affordable ones. The additional mental health component usually bumps up the price of insurance plans significantly. Shopping around will help you to find the best deal and avoid getting ripped off. Always read an insurer’s reviews before taking out a plan with them.

Pre-existing Conditions

If you have pre-existing mental health issues, then you need to tell your insurer this before you take out a policy with them. Withholding information about past mental health issues could be considered fraud since some insurers won’t give people policies if they know that they have already experienced mental illness in the past. That said, most insurers will still give you a health insurance plan with a mental health component, they’ll just charge a little bit more money than they normally would. The additional charge is usually minimal and is not enough to make the plan unaffordable unless you are on a very tight budget.

Forms of Treatment

Once you have your health insurance policy, you’ll then have a bunch of different treatments available to you. It is essential that you speak to your usual physician and figure out which one would be best for you. Therapy, most experts agree, is one of the most effective ways of treating mental illness. However, if you have a more serious mental illness that can’t be treated with therapy, then you need to find a form of treatment that’s right for you. In order to do this, again, speak to your family physician.

Contributing to Costs

Depending on where you live, you could have to contribute toward the cost of your therapy and pharmaceutical drugs. Some insurance companies will not foot the bill entirely. You might have to pay a little toward the cost of your treatment if the treatment is very expensive. The amount you have to pay is usually minimal, but it’s still required. The chances of you having to pay toward the cost of your treatment are much more likely if you already had mental health issues at the time you took your policy out. If you had none, then you might not have to.

Seeking Support

It is essential that you take out an insurance policy and get support for your mental health issues because if you don’t, they could get a lot worse. Many adults in Canada avoid going into therapy or getting help for their mental health issues, mainly because they do not have enough money to pay for private treatment. By getting support, you can work on healing yourself and getting better. If you do not get help, then your problems will probably just get worse. Seeking support will help you to get stronger, and better, and reduce the severity of your issues.

Complete Transparency

When you do see a therapist, it’s crucial that you are transparent with them. Hiding things will delay your treatment. Another thing worth noting is that when you apply for a health insurance plan, you’ll have to see a physician who works for the insurance company. This is so that they can check you out and determine whether or not you’re in good health. With this physician, you must be transparent as well. If you hide anything and are found out later on, again, you could be arrested for fraud. Lying in any way to get an insurance policy is illegal.

Health insurance does cover people with mental illness, as long as they include mental health coverage in their plans. Be sure to shop around and find the plan that’s best for you, as there are lots of different ones on offer.