Availing of private mental health services can be costly and may not be covered by your health insurance plan
WHILE ONE would hope that cost is the last thing that would prevent someone from seeking help for a mental health problem, unfortunately in the current climate this is often not the case.
Ongoing cutbacks in the public health sector are putting even more stress on an already pressurised system – and all this is coming at a time when the recession and associated financial worries are leading to a rise in mental health problems.
According to Brian Howard, chief executive of Mental Health Ireland, there has been evidence from the Irish College of General Practitioners that the number of people presenting in surgeries with psychological problems is on the increase.
“For a person with concerns over their job, or negative equity, or repaying their mortgage, it’s bound to have a very negative impact on their psychological wellbeing and mental health,” he says.
While Government policy on the provision of a modern psychiatric service, A Vision for Change, was launched in January 2006 and promised €25 million a year to facilitate the service, this has yet to come to fruition.
This lack of investment has been compounded by the moratorium on recruitment in the health service, meaning that departing or retiring psychologists and psychiatrists aren’t replaced.
This, in turn, is exacerbating the shortage of psychologists and specialists in areas such as child/adolescent psychiatry.
Now those in need of mental health treatment are frequently finding themselves at the mercy of long waiting lists, with Howard highlighting that levels of service on offer very much depend on which part of the country you are in.
Given that those in need of medication for mental health problems are frequently prescribed treatment for periods of between six and 12 months, the increase in the Drugs Payment Scheme from €100 to €120 a month in last year’s budget is adding an additional financial burden.
Another “very worrying development”, according to Howard, is the imposition of a 50 cent levy on the cost of prescriptions for medical card holders, which may discourage some people from completing their course of treatment.
One way of avoiding the problems in the public health system is to opt for the private route – but it will be expensive at a time when a person’s mental health problems may have begun because of financial worries.
A visit to a consultant psychologist or psychiatrist can set you back about €100-€150, which can add up to a significant sum when a number of visits are factored in. Although you may be able to claim some of this back if you have private health insurance, it will depend very much on your plan, as such services are frequently restricted to certain policies.
For example, under Quinn Health’s Familycare plan, you can get up to €40 back per visit to a clinical psychologist, up to a maximum of eight visits per year. Children are also covered, and you can get up to €60 back per year.
For a visit to a consultant psychiatrist, members of its Essential range of schemes can get up to €51 per visit, but this is subject to the outpatient excess on their chosen scheme.
At the VHI, members of its Plan B scheme can get €20 back for up to 12 visits for mental health therapy at approved daycare programmes such as those operated by the Dean Clinics. Those on its Family Plans can get up to €35 back, and can also avail of up to €100 for a mental health assessment every two years, and up to €35 back on up to seven visits to a clinical psychologist each year.
At Aviva Health, you can get up to €30 back for counselling sessions for up to four visits a year, while its Level 2 Everyday plan also offers cover for children’s sessions.
