BaldHeadedJohn

About a week ago, I called my insurance company, got approved, picked a place (I'd been there before a few years ago), and set up the appointment.

Took an hour off work today (went in an hour early to make up some time), drove into town. Only to find out that effective July 1, my insurance will no longer pay for outpatient alcohol/drug counseling.

POO!

I'm (more than) a little disappointed. They will pay for regular mental health counseling, but I'm not depressed or anxious or feeling bad about myself. I just wanted some alcohol couseling, about what to expect, PAWS, the chemical imbalances, etc.

Just wanted to vent a little.

How are you all doing??

BHJ

Anna

Hi John,

That's really too bad!

This sticky is called Quitting: What to Expect and could be helpful to you:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-expect.html

Rowan

Hi John,

I hope that you keep working at your recovery, despite this disappointing development. Just do your best to keep moving forward alongside us all - what we cannot do alone, we can do together.

Rowan

Spiritual Seeker

Generally (1)when I am persistent with my insurance on their web site and their 800 phone # I have been able to get services for my AS paid for. You may want to investigate before you give up too easy on the benefit. (2) Maybe if that doesn't work you can call it by a different name as the primary condition, anxiety or depression (addiction is dis -- ease after all ) and still be able to get the same provider of services that you seek. Remember, "there is more than one way to skin a cat" i.e. get insur. co. to pay.

CarolD

Here is the info for PAWS

http://www.tlctx.com/ar_pages/paw_part1.htm

Please put it on your favorites so
you can refer if needed.

Blessings

BaldHeadedJohn

Thanks, all
I'm going to talk to our benfits coordinator here at work today.
And Rowan, yes, I intend to continue moving forward and stay sober. This is just a little disappointment. I'm still going to go to my meetings, work my program with my sponsor, all the stuff I'm supposed to do. CarolD, thanks for the link.

Gotta work now. Thanks again, everyone!

Blessing Be

BHJ

AAFreeportPA

Hello BHJ. My name is Mark and I'm an Alcoholic.

Have you looked into a different insurance plan? Every year where I work we have our choice from a few plans. And what I've found is that one has to carefully research before committing to a plan.

The insurance industry is slowly curtailing the support of D/A counseling for one reason or another. Why that is is a mystery to me. But that's not to say there isn't a plan out there. I had to pay for D/A counseling out of pocket.

Anyhow, don't get worked up about PAW and that other stuff. It will pass. The best way to deal with that concerning your circumstances is to find other support. SR is one alternative. And you go to meetings and have a sponsor so there's more more support there.

It's nice to see you here and Irwin isn't that far away. It's nice to meet someone in the near-local area here.

Yours in Recovery, Mark B.

parentrecovers

we've been very fortunate that our insurance has covered most of my daughter's treatment and all our counseling, etc. it sure stinks when it doesn't.

hang in there, k