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Therapy without Insurance One of the side effects of the current economic turmoil has been a great deal of psychological and emotional stress. Many mental health providers are noting as much as a twenty-five percent increase in the demand for psychotherapy. However, this increased demand may be short-lived if the economic downturn persists for more than a year, as many people who have been laid off will no longer be able to afford the COBRA extended insurance expense to maintain their health insurance or they will have lost any employment termination benefits they received. Many people wonder what they will do if they need new or continuing psychological treatment. Here are some ideas to help you. First, if you are already in treatment, ask your psychologist what the standard “out-of-pocket” fee is for people paying cash. Current rates are anywhere from about $90 to $150 per session; however, most psychologists will reduce their fee to help you be able to continue in treatment. Don’t expect to receive treatment for free, but you can anticipate that s/he will work with you to help reduce the cost. If you aren’t in treatment, you should still seek help from any mental health provider of your choice, but it may be more difficult to find a reduced fee. You should ask anyway, as many psychologists understand the economic burden many people face today, and they are prepared to negotiate a reduced fee to help you get the treatment you need – and stay in business at the same time. It is also considered a part of our professional obligation to give back to our communities. Some psychologists even have a policy of providing one or two clients with pro bono service (that means free) for a limited number of sessions. For military veterans, many organizations offer free services. Giveanhour.org is a non-profit organization devoted to recruiting mental health providers to give one hour of their work week for pro bono services for the military. If still covered by military benefits, the veteran can check with their closest VA hospital, which might have additional information on low-cost or no-cost services. Some regional professional psychological associations have listings of psychologists that donate a limited amount of time. For example, the Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists operates a program that provides low-cost or no-cost services by a licensed psychologist for individuals and families with limited income. Services can be accessed by calling 215-885-2562. For other regional psychological associations call the Pennsylvania Psychological Association at 717-232-3817 or visit www.PaPsy.org. Community mental health centers offer another option for people with limited income or no insurance. Sometimes, the local community mental health center will assist clients in qualifying for medical assistance benefits. Children are covered through CHIP services and because of this program, no child should go without receiving the mental health services they need. You can find the phone number of your local community mental health center in the blue pages of your phone directory. Although these difficult economic times make it more challenging to seek mental health treatment, there are options available for all consumers. No one should ever have to go without getting the psychological services they need. Persistence and the willingness to ask for help is all that’s necessary. |