Local insurance company increases mental health benefits coverage to $5,000 per year
Guelph-based insurance company The Co-operators recently announced a redesign and restructuring of its employee mental health benefits plan. The story has been in the news because the company’s $4,500 jump in coverage is striking, with this level of coverage being on the higher end for mental health benefits in general.
In addition to the increased coverage, The Co-operators is also “expanding the number of eligible practitioners beyond psychologists and social workers to include family therapists, clinical counsellors, and psychotherapists,” according to a news release from the company. This increase got me thinking more about my own insurance coverage, which is with The Co-operators, as well as the cost versus coverage of mental healthcare. While the list of extended benefits in my plan covers 49 items, it is clear from a cursory glance that physical healthcare is broken down into many more categories than mental healthcare.
For example, the physical health benefits covered include:
- Acupuncturists
- Chiropractors
- Massage therapists
- Naturopaths/homeopaths
- Osteopaths
- Physiotherapists
- Podiatrists/chiropodists
Meanwhile, as outlined in the news release, there are currently only two eligible practitioners for mental health with this provider. What it doesn’t explain is that these two practitioners are actually lumped together into one category: psychologist/social worker. Therefore, if a plan offers $500 per category, as The Co-operators’ old mental health coverage did, then someone would have $500 per year for mental health practitioners versus $3,500 for the seven physical health practitioners listed. This imbalance clearly demonstrates that our society continues to value and acknowledge physical health over mental health.This distribution of coverage is also problematic because the cost to see a social worker (i.e. a counsellor or therapist) is high. In order for care to be covered, one must see a counselor who has a Master of Social Work (MSW). To see a therapist with the right qualifications can cost twice the amount as seeing someone who is working on their degree (i.e. a clinical intern). The cost of one visit to see a qualified social worker is usually around $100. Therefore, with The Co-operators’ old structure, a person could see a therapist only five times in a year. Let’s just say that my current coverage isn’t quite as good as The Co-operators’ old employee coverage.
Meanwhile, the same amount of coverage to see other healthcare practitioners stretches a lot better over the year. For example, chiropractors cost closer to $50 per visit, meaning that $500 would allow for almost a monthly visit. In contrast, to see a counselor only five times in a year does not seem sufficient to assist someone who is struggling with their mental health. If we think that, in the most serious of cases, it is vital for a person to receive care at least once a week, then the minimum amount of coverage that would be needed is $5,200.
If that seems too high for one category, since not everyone may need that type of care, then companies should look into splitting up care across more categories related to mental health, as The Co-operators did for their own employees.
Alternately, various levels of practitioners should be covered under one’s benefits as well. It seems odd that only the most expensive option is covered if you’re going to a proper clinic for care. That’s like going to a restaurant with your family and your parents saying that they’ll only pay for your dinner if you get the lobster with all the fixings.
Gone are the days when people dealing with mental health issues were lumped together and written off as “too delicate,” “too sensitive,” “of weak disposition,” and other such nonsense. It is no wonder why employers and insurance companies have long seen the value of maintaining the bodies of their workers, but it is only recently that they are recognizing the value of maintaining their employees’ minds as well. It is time now for more companies to recognize that value and do right by their employees. Of course, there is an undeniable link between physical and mental health and, therefore, providing good physical health care coverage will allow people to better their mental health to some degree. Having acknowledged that, I hope to someday see the following:
- Some of the nuance present in the physical health benefits’ breakdown applied to mental health coverage.
- An increase in the total amount of mental health coverage available.
- More reasonably priced mental healthcare that allows people to access that care on a more regular basis.
Ultimately, I hope that insurance companies, healthcare practitioners, and businesses will work together to ensure that people actually benefit from their benefits.
Photo courtesy of Guelph Mercury via CC0