All About Government Insurance For Mental Health Care

In general, government health insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid are quite liberal when it comes to receiving mental health care. The two major government health insurance providers have different requirements and serve different populations, but they both cover and support the treatment of mental health care issues.
The Programs
The two programs have different eligibility requirements. Medicare is for American citizens who are 64 years and 9 months old, are permanently disabled and receiving Social Security Disability or those who are in the final stages of renal failure. The Medicare program has been privatized and many traditional health insurance carriers offer Medicare plans. The subscriber is given options as to which plan they want. The deductible varies according to income and the type of plan chosen. Mental health coverage is required by federal law to be available under all plans.
Medicaid is a federally funded, but state-run health insurance program for people who are considered low income. Medicaid has very small deductibles (around $5 per visit) and also offers coverage for mental health.
Mental Health Providers
Both Medicare and Medicaid cover mental health care but not every mental health provider is covered under the plans. In most cases,the patient needs to be seen by a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. Typically, counselors and therapists who work on their own are not covered providers unless they work under the supervision of a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist.
Since the language which allows people to identify themselves as therapists is loose and does not require any specific level of education or certification, keeping coverage exclusive to providers with a PHD or an MD degree reduces fraud, waste and abuse of the programs
If you have government based insurance and are in need of mental health counseling or care, you can discuss this with your primary care provider who can make the necessary referrals.