Insurance information
Using Your Health Insurance for Mental Health Care
The Wellness Center provides short-term mental health counseling for a variety of issues and conditions. If you need longer term care, specialized care, care outside of business hours, or if you would prefer to seek treatment off campus, you will be offered a referral to care in the community. The Wellness Center maintains a referral list of providers who are near our Rogers Park and Chicago campuses, who utilize best practices in treatment, and who receive positive student feedback.
Insurance coverage is not currently required to be seen at the Wellness Center. However, if a referral to the community is the best care recommendation, your insurance coverage may be utilized. It is often helpful to review ‘behavioral health’ benefits (under which outpatient mental health is listed) before moving forward in the care process. Calling the member services phone number on the back of your insurance card and asking the following questions will help you to understand your ‘behavioral health benefits’.
- Ask to be transferred to the behavioral health department as many insurance plans separate physical health and mental health benefits.
- What is my deductible for behavioral health? A deductible is the amount of money your plan requires you to pay out of pocket for services before your benefits ‘kick in’.
- What is my co-pay or co-insurance? A co-pay is a flat fee per visit, and co-insurance is a percentage of the cost of the total visit. You will pay only your co-pay or co-insurance after you have paid down your deductible.
- Do I have a session limit? Many plans place a limit on the number of sessions they will cover each year.
- Do I need a referral from my primary care doctor to see a therapist or psychiatrist? This is often the case in plans that are HMO’s.
If you have the Loyola University Insurance Plan (United Health Care) you can review your behavioral health benefits: Loyola SBC.
If you have any questions about your behavioral health coverage, or find that you may need to explore ways in which treatment can be made available or more affordable – please call the Wellness Center at 773-508-2530, option 3, and leave a voicemail. Your call will be returned promptly by a Wellness Center mental health professional. The Wellness Center is also available to review your list of ‘in network’ providers to assist you in choosing the appropriate care provider for your treatment needs. The Wellness Center is dedicated to ensuring that all students have access to mental health treatment and resources. We remain available to assist you with your health insurance or referral related questions as needed.