How Much Does a Psychiatrist Cost Without Insurance – Overview
Mental health is extremely important, especially after having gone through an unprecedented global pandemic.
Mental health recovery takes time, but patients need professional help to do this. The level of anxiety and unwanted fears has significantly increased in people worldwide.
This is why it is recommended to seek clinical help from a psychiatrist. However, the often prohibitive cost of a psychiatric visit prevents many people from seeking help.
The lack of insurance coverage is one of the main reasons many patients do not visit a psychiatrist, even if they have a severe need.
In this article, we shall take a closer look at the cost of visiting a psychiatrist and how much does a psychiatrist cost without insurance?
How Much Does a Psychiatric Visit Cost?
How Much Does a Psychiatrist Cost Without Insurance – Psychiatric Visit Cost
Psychiatric treatment is a long-term process. It is important to go for clinical visits multiple times for psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. According to Electronic Health Reporter, the average cost of a psychiatric visit is usually between US$ 100 to US$ 200 per session.
However, you should expect to pay slightly more for the first appointment. Besides, you may have to pay extra for any additional mental health services, as these can increase the overall cost of care and therapy.
For an initial consultation, psychiatrists in the United States charge between US$ 300 and US$ 500 as it usually takes more time to evaluate a new patient. During the first visit, the psychiatrist may order you to undergo lab tests, blood tests, or psychological tests, besides any other investigative process required to determine the mental health problem.
This is an excellent way for the psychiatrist to recommend the most effective treatment.
After the initial appointment, the cost of a clinical visit to a psychiatrist becomes less. However, the specific cost of a psychiatric visit depends mainly on the clinic’s location, the psychiatrist’s experience, specialty expertise, demand, and other similar factors.
Apart from the psychiatrist’s fees, you will also have to pay for any additional treatment costs, such as tests, specialized treatments, etc.
How Much Does a Psychiatrist Cost Without Insurance?
The total cost of visiting a psychiatrist without insurance will mainly depend on several factors. As mentioned above, the average cost of a psychiatric visit is anywhere between US$ 100 to US$ 200, while the initial consultation usually gets charged around US$ 500.
Make sure to ask the psychiatrist for help with the cost of treatment. Many psychiatrists are willing to offer payment plans (sliding scale fees) usually decided according to your budget.
Many providers are more than willing to help find alternative options that can help to reduce the overall cost of psychiatric treatment, especially when you don’t have adequate health insurance coverage.
Besides this, you can also seek help with the services your county provides. For instance, many states and counties have outpatient mental health options for patients to undergo treatment and therapy. They often provide these services at a remarkably low cost or at no charge to those in dire need of psychiatric help but who cannot afford to pay.
Does Insurance Cover a Psychiatrist’s Visit?
Many health insurance policies offer to cover the cost of a psychiatric visit, but not all. The amount of coverage for psychiatric treatment varies. Some insurance plans need a referral from a primary care provider, and many insurance companies will only cover the cost of psychiatric evaluation and treatment with in-network providers.
Still, many insurance plans also offer to cover a small portion of the total psychiatric treatment cost if you choose to get treated through an out-of-network psychiatrist.
In-network providers are under contract with your insurance company. They agree to work at affordable rates. You can find out if a psychiatrist is within your insurance network by:
- Checking your insurance provider’s website
- Checking the healthcare provider’s website
- Calling the healthcare provider’s clinic/office
- Calling your insurance provider
How to Find Affordable Psychiatric Care Without Insurance?
Many psychiatrists work with patients without insurance coverage to make their treatments easier to access and more affordable.
This way, the patient can take full advantage of the following:
- Low-cost clinics
- Sliding fee scale
- Adjusted treatment programs
- Generic prescription medication
Conclusion
You can also check with online telehealth psychiatric services. These types of psychiatric services usually cost much less than conventional services and are significantly effective.
These can be a much more practical solution for patients who need to visit a psychiatrist but do not have adequate health insurance coverage for mental health services.
References
https://blog.curative.com/how-much-does-a-psychiatrist-cost-without-insurance/
https://www.khealth.com/learn/healthcare/
See Also
How Much Does CT Scan Cost Without Insurance
How to Get Health Insurance Without a Job?
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