Insurers often make it more difficult to access mental healthcare than physical services. Plans might not have enough therapists in-network, forcing patients to turn to out-of-network providers and leaving them on the hook for high bills.
In other cases, insurers enact prior authorization, requiring patients to get permission before seeking mental health treatment, or denying claims for mental healthcare after the fact.
People with depression or anxiety have almost twice as much annual out-of-pocket spending than those without a mental health diagnosis, according to a Peterson-KFF tracker.
