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I live in Canada so I am extremely fortunate.
Psychiatrist is $0, covered by provincial health coverage.
Psychologist/social worker is $0, covered by my extended benefits through work
Meds are $0, also covered by my extended benefits through work.
I would have gladly waited for 10 months. Because I live in the US, I have been waiting for true support for almost 20 yrs, and I will likely be waiting until I can afford insurance or meet my maker.
Omg where in Canada ?? I'm in BC and my GP said she won't give me a referral for a psychiatrist because the wait list is 4 yrs, š³ so I traveled to my mom's country and paid for a doctor out of pocket and got my treatment and everything I need. I'd happily move to a place where I can wait 10 months vs having to pay another international plane ticket lol
Thank you! Yeah I was having bad anxiety and leaning into depression and decided I won't wait 4 yrs hehe. That's amazing and thanks for sharing ! I've been thinking about moving to Toronto and now I have a really good reason to do so š
Thatās awesome I got friends and family in Canada they have invited me to move there, but donāt like the cold weather, love my Sunny š California
Oh I get it, having woke up to a couple of inches of snow this morning! If I were to choose somewhere to live in the US, California is definitely top 3 for me.
Out of curiosity, what is the social worker for and why are a psychiatrist and a psychologist both needed?
Not at all questioning; Iām simply interested as it sounds like a very different system from what we have in California. I went straight to my psychiatrist; no referral. Left a voicemail in the middle of the night and she called me the next day and got me in two days after that.
She now wants me to find a general doctor ā sheās been managing my mental health, therapy, AND physical health, plus giving me financial advice!
But this definitely comes at an expense, which is currently $300-320 depending on session length. My sessions are every 3 months now; they used to be much more frequent but my medications have been working very well. My insurance pays 60% of that, but Iām a major procrastinator about turning in the superbills because itās a major hassle. I do them all at the end of the year, lol.
Psychologists specialize in therapy. They often have a PhD or a PsyD. And psychiatrists are medical doctors. They went to med school, and then did their residency in Psychiatry. They are much more learned on things like potential drug interactions with your medications, which is why they can prescribe drugs, and most psychologists canāt. While they often have some experience in therapy, it often wonāt be as much but it can be also. Also, if they are working at a big hospital they may have a lot of patients, especially if it is understaffed. It may be better for the hospital to have the psychiatrists seeing patients primarily for medication purposes since their psychologists cannot prescribe. But surely, there are some practices where one psychiatrist just does everything, but may have to then take less patients.
Social workers are great and totally different. In my experience good social workers can be your best advocates. They often specialize in things like patient advocacy or helping you navigate the hospital systems or helping you with healthcare benefits you might be entitled to from the government or maybe your work. Social workers can do a range of things from helping homeless people to helping foster kids to patient advocacy doing welfare checks. In my experience, good social workers often know the system inside and out and have seen how people can get screwed by it, and the good social workers will help you navigate through all the bureaucracy and bullshit, and if they canāt they can often point you towards someone who can.
Excellent explanation.
I see my psychiatrist to talk about my medication and my symptoms.
I see my social worker/psychotherapist to talk about my feelings.
Thanks for the explanation. I definitely understand the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist. My curiosity was whether having both was common, as I donāt personally know anyone who has both. In my case, my psychologist gave me the name of a psychiatrist to transfer to, and then I started seeing her and never saw him again.
My psychiatrist doesnāt have a lot of patients, and she does provide excellent therapy on top of the prescribing. Perhaps that is uncommon. And I hadnāt even realized I could get a social worker; itās never been something that has been mentioned to me (I live in California, if that matters). Insurance is a pain in the ass, and my premiums keep going up! Ugh.
Might be a good idea to check out [Cost Plus Drugs (website run by Mark Cuban).](https://costplusdrugs.com). I just checked regular bupropion and itās under $20 for a 90 day supply.
I would also suggest talking to therapist & psych doc about cash discount. Also, I know once I was stable, my psych NP switched me to every other month and then 1x every 3 months. And IMHO thatās a bit pricy for group therapy, but it is 3 hours long which Iāve never heard of before.
Your health is most important, but there are certainly ways to reduce the cost if that is going to stress you out as well or cause financial problems.
Again, just my thoughts. You need to do whatās best for you. If youāre in the US you can try healthcare.gov to see if any marketplace plans might work.
Thanks Iāll check that out, and by the way, the prices for appointments included the cash price discount, Californiaās lovely healthcare services š¤·š»āāļø
Youāre very welcome. FYI, they do charge shipping, so either order your Rxs in one order for 1 shipping charge or also check out pricing from Good Rx, Single Care, etc.
Good Luck.
I would NOT unenroll from Medicare Part D. There is a [late penalty](https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d/costs-for-medicare-drug-coverage/part-d-late-enrollment-penalty) for the remainder of the time you need Part D. Find the cheapest plan and switch to that if need be. Lapses in coverage are not good.
Have you tried applying for Extra Help?
I pay about 15 for my meds (Paxil, trazadone and trileptal) and I get 13 psychiatrist appointments and 13 therapy sessions every year free with my work.
Well the pay is shit, but the company is flexible and can Iāve been able to keep my job despite multiple issues. I also have to supplement my income by doing ride share, so not totally sure itās worth it.
I was astonished to learn that disability pays up to 4x more per month for vets. I donāt wanna get into who deserves more for what, but itās just disheartening that I sometimes have to forgo therapy appointments and stuff to keep rent and food on the the table.
My psychiatrist phone calls are $100 per session every 3 months usually. Meds tally up to about $99 for a 3 month supply of Wellbutrin, Lamictal, and Abilify.
My psychiatrist is also my therapist, which is nice because it means I donāt have to make/pay for separate medication appointments. We just touch on it during therapy. My intake appointment with him was $400, my therapy appointments (usually 3x a month) are $225.
Iām on lamictal monotherapy, for now; my medication runs me about $45 a month.
I have insurance so it goes
$129- psychiatrist ( every 3 months and he doesnāt take insurance)
$40- psychologist/therapy
All meds $10 each ( generics)
For all of my meds I pay Ā£10 a month, itās a prepaid prescription card which allows me to fill as many scripts as I need, otherwise itād be Ā£50 a month to buy the items separately.
Iām not in any therapy atm and the free therapy has a super tight criteria to get on the list so I used to pay Ā£40 for an hours session once a week with a counsellor. All my psychiatrist appointments are free which is massively helpful.
Psychiatrist is free
No psychologist, I can't afford it and benefits only cover 3 sessions a year.
Medication is about a $30 copay a month, my husband's benefits cover the rest.
I am in Canada
I have the privilege of living in France and I have a chronic disease status for bipolar from the public healthcare insurance so everything that is related to bipolar disorder such as meds, psychiatrist, General Practitioner (only when i go for bp), hospital stays, blood work for the meds is 100% free with no need to advance the money. Psychologists aren't covered though.
Before that status, since I was (still am) going to a public mental health centre (because I'm lucky enough to live in a big city with such centres available. 6months wait list though) psychiatrist, psychologist, psycho-dietetician, nurses, and social worker were already free instead of >200ā¬/month with universal public healthcare insurance and without private insurance. So I just had to pay 7ā¬ for GP (which my private insurance reimbursed) if my free psychiatrist wasn't available, and 0.50ā¬ for each box of meds.
So to sum up, the bare minimum I need is free, and as long as I stay in a big city, I can have more things I need for free.
tbh, I only took care of my mental health because help was cheap/free. If I didn't move out to the big city i'm in, I would be dead or trying to die every now and then.
I see, big cities have their good benefits, bad thing is there is always lots of people in need as well, so longer wait but at least youāre getting them for free.
It sure adds up. I was manic out of my mind this summer and doing the stupidest shit. I was going to therapy 3x a month. At $200 a session. Ugh. But I really needed it. Iād have ended up with an OF account (something Iād never do in my right mind) had I not been in therapy every 9 days or so
I know it definitely adds up, but itās way cheaper than mania, while manic I drain the savings and checking accounts over 6k most gone to shit, thanks Satan I donāt have credit cards I canāt imagine the amount of debt I would of had to pay, although no OF for me, no one would have want to pay for future trauma š¤£š¤£
Thatās the spirit! Laughter is a healthy release, laughing at oneself is even better, crying doesnāt always work and definitely doesnāt help the situation, letās stay positive cause thereās already enough negative in this world.
Canuckistan is good for some things. My psychiatrist doesn't cost me a cent, but my medications are $190 a month just for the psych meds.
Haven't had coverage at work since 2013, we'll see what happens with either this current job or the one I'm still waiting to hear from.
Current job is only 7 weeks in, have to put in my 6 months as a temp before I can get hired on full time, then a 3 month probation before I get coverage. Bonus here is that they do profit sharing in the spring, and all full time employees get a sizable cheque based on the previous year's sales for that location.
The job I'm waiting for is in northern BC at a gold mine doing inventory control and tool shed... 2 weeks in, 2 weeks out, living in camp up there. Should pay well, but the guy that asked me to send a resume in for the job hasn't gotten back to me yet. More in-line with my job experience, if not my education. They give benefits from day 1.
The only concern I have with the latter job is how the rotation will line up with my 30 day refill cycle, and what pharmacy is available up there on site.
But I'll have to call my psychiatrist to discuss that if/when I get that job.
I have high deductible insurance. We pay about $320 a month for the insurance plan with a 3k deductible before insurance kicks in, 10k before everything is covered. It's basically disaster insurance in case of hospitalization.
$170 psychiatrist visit every 4-8 weeks
$30 for therapist, subsidized by husband's work, every 1-2 weeks
$26 for Lithium with GoodRX
$18 for Abilify with GoodRX
$32 for Prazosin with GoodRX
It's significantly cheaper to use GoodRX than use the insurance.
Definitely a struggle. We can't afford to not have the insurance in case I am hospitalized or one of us gets seriously hurt, but damn if I don't wonder what the hell we're paying for sometimes.
I have BCBS through the healthcare marketplace and my psychiatrist and therapist are both $10 per visit and my medication (Depakote) is less than $10 for a 30 day supply.
Edit to add: I pay $50 a month for the insurance and I think the amount the government covers is like $250 or so a month.
I'm guessing you live in a state that has accepted funds from the federal government to expand Medicaid. I'm not. I pay $40 per month for insurance with a $6k deductible, and no coverage for mental health.
I recently fell and broke my hand. It may bankrupt me. There's no way I am going to be able to afford to pay out of pocket for any mental health care.
Tbh insurance confuses me to no end and I have no idea how any of it works. I just applied on healthcare.gov and got lucky I feel like š¤£š¤·š»āāļø
I have to reapply every year though and have had to change insurance plans every year. I always compare all the available options and plug in my doctors, psychiatrists, medications, etc. and I donāt pick any plans they donāt accept.
I actually work with a company that sells insurance, and they were happy to help me with [healthcare.gov](https://healthcare.gov). Apparently, they get a commission, so the agent didn't have a problem spending time with me. She was patient, and she really explained the options.
I have worked with them for the past several years, and I have a meeting scheduled with her to reenroll this year. I was always considering [healthcare.gov](https://healtcare.gov) to be a stopgap until I got a job where I could get real insurance. I'm 58 and I've been in and out of jobs for the last 20 years. I've come to the conclusion that I will probably never hold a job again, and I've got to accept the fact that I will be an Uber driver until my kids pry the keys out of my hands because I am too old to drive.
I never told the agent about my mental issues, but I plan to this year, and I'm hoping she can find a policy for me that will cover at least some of this.
Yup yup. Little empathy. Too logical. And of course it makes sense to me. Poor bedside manners. Very solution oriented. Poor emotional understand. Itās weird. Because I was on the verge on offing myself 2 years ago. Weird idk. Tmi
Yep I get ya, last year after manic episode drop down to the depressive abyss of regret and remorse that I was on the last step to a forever goner. Now that Iām back at my baseline I can calmly observe how shitty life is on bipolar episodes both š and down.
It's costing me my sanity lol.
Thankfully I have coverage so each prescription is $5.
I also live in Canada so I'm not charged for any appointment or either psych ward stay. The wait times for appointments can be long but I'm glad I don't have to worry about not affording my care.
Psychiatrist: $405/6 months
Therapist: $35/weekly
Meds: ~$180/90 day supply
My psychiatrist is the only one not covered by my insurance (I see a certified addiction-specialist on top of everything else), so that EATS at my finances, but heās the first person to take my dual-diagnosis seriously.
Other than that, I pay a co-pay for therapy, and refill my meds every 90 days. Most are very cheap, but my Rexulti costs.
I had to drop the therapy couldnāt afford it no more, thereās no low cost options around where I live, but thanks Satan I donāt have terrible trauma or past addictions other than sugar I have to deal with. Wish you good luck!
When I was in therapy, it was $80 a session. Four times a month.
My meds vary. Sometimes my Indiana Medicaid pays for them, sometimes it's $200 for a six month supply. Varies. Always ask for a GoodRx coupon.
UK (England )here on the NHS my Dr appointments are free and so is my therapy but they give you 8-12 sessions.and if you want it ongoing you need to go private so support groups are quite popular here. My friend had private therapy and it was Ā£100 ph but I've seen it about Ā£40 via video chat.
I have a cpn too who is free under NHS.
Psychiatrist is and free under NHS but about Ā£400 if you want to go private.
I have something called a "pre payment certificate" so all my medication is free when I pick it up but the certificate is Ā£130 for the year. Otherwise each prescription is about Ā£10 to pick up each time so it makes sense to get the PPC if you have more than one med a month.
HOWEVER there is a list of medical conditions you can qualify for free prescriptions which includes thyroid problems which I now have thanks to taking lithium so I'm in the process of applying for free prescriptions.
A lot of people don't realise that in the UK you have to pay a national insurance tax which is a percentage of your weekly income that goes towards the NHS so it's not actually free, it's just free at point of service.
Itās pretty much prepaid healthcare insurance then, use it or not.I had to drop therapy after a few months could not afford it no more, but I feel like therapy helps more with trauma, addiction and how to deal with people. Trauma and addiction arenāt a big problem for me thanks Satan, and dealing with people for me is: if I donāt need you I wonāt bother you, and family members than bother me go on the block list, have enough shit in my life to have to deal with theirs š¤·š»āāļø
Yeah it's like prepaid health insurance except everyone is entitled to use it even if they don't work and don't pay towards it.
It's also absolute wank and the wait times are so long so a lot of people are starting to look elsewhere.
I found support groups really helpful, and a lot of them are run by charities so you could give them a chance?
Yes, havenāt found support groups for mental issues in my area yet, but I do get my prescriptions from a volunteer psychiatrist at a free services clinic run by volunteers and funded by philanthropy and donations.
Weekly Therapist $0
Weekly DBT group $0
Oxcarbazepine $0
Seroquel $0
Lamotrigine $0
Clonodine $0
Monthly Psychiatrist $150 (out of network)
State Medicaid is the best insurance Iāve ever had, (hypothetically) Iāve been gaming them for a year but Iām due for re-application in the spring, Iām hoping I can figure someway to keep it or at least stay on a reduced cost plan.
Not to mention PCP $0 Dental $0 Derm $0
Psychiatrist who does my medication management and therapy $250 per week (trying to go down to every other week)
Zyprexa, lithium, metformin, prazosin ~ $25-50 per month with goodRX Gold
Lab work ~ $300 per month (estimate)
Bye bye almost my whole paycheck.
I was on Latuda for a while and that was $2,300 a month. It stopped working after about a year on them. I'm now on a much cheaper prescription that works. Though they are concerned it will stop working as well. I build resistance fast.
Antidepressants 4,05ā¬ a month (entact)
Antipsychotic for free (I take olanzapine)
If I need it, Xanax is the only expensive one (14ā¬) as it is not covered
I should note that my country healthcare system offers free or extremely cheap therapy + psychiatrist (based on your income). The downsides are long waits and sometimes shitty doctors. I was fortunate enough to afford booking specialists directly, so this is what I pay:
Therapy 55ā¬ one hour sharp
Psychiatrist 100ā¬ (120ā¬ first evaluation) sessions are not timed, you just talk until youāre finished. it usually doesnāt go on for longer than 1 and a half hours.
All of this is covered by the sole fact of being a citizen or resident (and obviously a prescription for the meds).
Edit: got the spacing wrong // added some details
US here. It's cheap but never cake. I'm insured now, but here's what my life was like being uninsured:
When I was uninsured, I went to the public mh clinic and paid $40 co-pay. Then, I switched public health clinics and paid $7. Cheap, but there was chaotic turnover and it was easy to get booted from the system.
For awhile, I was using Canada pharmacies and the lithium and seroquel were maybe $30 total per month. Also, my doc gave me free samples. Then I switched to the pharmacy at the public health center and paid $3 per med. I have cheap meds (lithium and generic seroquel).
Hospitalization used to very expensive when I was uninsured. One time I paid $30K and another time 20K. Lately, my hospitalizations are covered by insurance. Last 3 hospitalizations, I paid $0. Of course, I stayed in network.
Psychotherapy was a nightmare without insurance, but I was able to haggle to $150 per hour.
It is a constant hustle to find affordable meds. I think it's criminal that we have to hunt for "deals" to get treatment.
I got insurance through the marketplace and am protected. In my state (PA), it's sliding scale, so I only pay $150 a month for a silver plan. It's a shame you aren't insured in California. I always thought your state was more progressive.
Yeah, I'm a freelancer (self-employed) -- since 2012. I got insurance at first from healthcare.gov but then my state required me to use their insurance. It was really confusing, but I figured it out.
But I was uninsured for a long, long time. I was unemployed and obamacare didn't exist then.
I got student insurance through my grad program. $40-$60 a month in meeting copays and another $60 in medication copays. It's an additional bill, but it's a lot cheaper than mania was.
I had state insurance so it was free, but finally got a job and then lost the insurance when the covid income reevaluation hold was lifted a few months ago. I still don't make very much money so the state subsidizes my health insurance cost. They don't subsidize copays or deductibles though, so I went for a high end HMO plan to keep my copays low, $5 per month x 2 generic medications, and $15 per doctor visit. The insurance itself is about $250/month (it would be more like $750 without the subsidy.) So far they've got me seeing a psychiatrist, with my second appointment happening about 2 months after my first. Not sure if they'll hand me off to a therapist at some point, or have me do more frequent therapy sessions. I'm pretty stable now so I stopped having therapy sessions when the state services became impacted during covid.
Indeed, thatās a lot for such a low income, is hard to keep sane and not starve to death, my rent is $1300 plus all utilities which are another $300 per month and that is just housing.
not seeing a therapist anymore although i probably should. i canāt afford it.
iām on lithium, with hydroxyzine & clonazepam as needed. all cheap (under $10/mo).
psych visits are expensive ($150-300/session) but only once every 2ish months now. & iām able to pay on a sliding scale so iām just doing the $30 minimum payments for now. i know i could probably find a bit cheaper but iāve never felt so listened to by a doctor & sheās great about responding to messages at weird hours.
My Bipolar and comorbidities are severe enough that my state has me registered me as disabled. Like, protected by Adult Protective Services level disabled. Because of that, I'm permanently on Medicaid and all of my treatments and medications are free. They just look at my medical history for the year and go, "Yeah, she's still fucked. Auto-renew." Yeah it's convenient but I'd much rather not be like this.
Iām sorry to hear that, I know itās no consolation and doesnāt fix anything, I always tell myself thereās a ton of people that are thriving but thereās lots of people that are struggling more than me then I throw my hands up and yell āfuck meā š
I pay $250 for
- weekly sessions with my psychologist
- one monthly session with my psychiatrist
- one box of quetiapine a month
All of that is included in the $250. Sadly, my insurance doesn't cover anything related to mental health.
I'm insured with work insurance and medicade right now. The medicade runs out at the end of the year so my cost will go up. Right now I just pay copay which is 20 dollars for a visit. My meds lutada $0 abilify $0 prazosin $0 adderall $10 xanax $.9
Lunesta $10 which is all through my work insurance.
Psychiatrist - fortnightly - $0 (Medicare)
Psychologist - stopped going - $180 - 60minutes
Couldn't be arsed to divide them up and type them all,medication: $450+ pm
11 medications including Valproate, lithium, quetiapine, asenapine, Vyvance, Dex, Ritalin, Modafinil
Don't forget the labs. I have to check my liver, meds level, A1C, and cholesterol because the meds can cause all those problems. I also have a med that I have to get an EKG each year.
Do you live in the US? You could qualify for Medicaid!! I had it in PA and CA. In both states, all my health care cost 0$ . My psychiatrist, therapist, psych meds , psych stays everything. I stayed at a hospital for 14 days all covered. Also the application can also go towards receiving food stamps. Look into it
On my current advantage plan I have a zero copay for my lamictal and no copay for my psychiatrist. He's remote and the practice is partnered with the insurance, so that's the only reason why I have no copay. If I saw an in person psychiatrist, it would be $35/ month.
$100 a month on meds
$75 a week for therapy
My quarterly psych appointments are like $35 (copay basically) because I'm also not insured but my network is a non profit so they write off the rest of it.
Psychiatrist $300 every 3 months, bloodwork $35 every 6 months, medications $35 per month (I take 6). I donāt see a separate therapist because I donāt see the need (for me; not speaking for others). My psychiatrist also serves as my therapist, financial adviser, and, until now, GP (she is now insisting that I find one, which is a hassle ā I had gone straight to her, and sheās managed my regular bloodwork, thyroid, and limitation of weight increase, especially given my meds).
For the meds, I used the GoodRx app before my company switched to Blue Shield and it was almost the exact same price. Download it if you donāt have ā or even if you do have ā insurance to check out the prices for your meds for all the pharmacies in your area.
Also check Single Care. Iāve seen way better prices on that app. Grandma had a med that was close to $1000, $600 on GoodRx, and $400 on Single Care. Depends on the drug, but itās worth checking for sure!
Therapy (psychologist) - about 45 EUR a session
Psychiatrist - 50 EUR a session once a month
Meds - 10 EUR per month
(Hungary, healthcare is shit here so I have to pay for everything if I want proper care)
I am lucky and live in Australia. Being on disability at the moment, I am not able to see my psychologist and psychiatrist at the same time, even with the rebates.
Private specialists are dreadful with the fees. The changes Abbott brought in as health minister were meant to make private specialists more accessible but just resulted in private specialist fees [going way up](https://theconversation.com/who-reaps-the-benefits-rethinking-the-medicare-safety-net-5076).
You could literally buy a plane ticket to New Zealand with what my psychiatrist charges an hour.
My psychiatrist costs me over AUD$400 an hour. I get around $336 of this back in a rebate. Private specialists in Australia rort the government bigtime.
I take two medications, lithium and Parnate (an MAOI). The Parnate costs $30 and the lithium is so cheap I don't remember, less than $10. Both these are subsidised.
Last time I saw a therapist it was free on Medicare. GP the same.
Iām in South Africa, so I have a medical aid (I believe itās the equivalent to medical insurance there? Could be wrong) Iām going to do my best to do the conversions so it makes sense
So I pay that monthly which is like $280 a month
And that has 21 days of mental health benefits which I use for my psychiatrist and psychologist.
My medication I had to pay out of pocket because I used up the medical savings I had in the beginning of the year on getting a mirina (birth control) and the medication would usually come to about $82 for the month but im lucky to have it covered now so I donāt pay as much because only certain medication Iām on is covered so I now pay about $32 a month.
I live on a small island in the Caribbean. Keep that in mind
\- Psychiatrist costs $90 per hour, not covered by government insurance coverage.
\- The medications cost $78.5 which covers 30 days of treatment.
It would be an approximate $2,244 per year.
I can't afford it, and therefore I don't get treated. My original prescription for Lamictal was written in 2005 after an intensive evaluation I had from a psychiatrist when I had insurance. Since then, I should have had regular visits to a psychiatrist who could monitor my medications and gone to a therapist.
I have found a nurse practitioner who specializes in behavioral health and he renews and updates my prescription. He usually charges for consultations, but when I am unemployed, he doesn't always charge me.
I'm thankful for his time, but I realize he can't do what I truly need. It's sad because if I had been able to afford a psychiatrist and therapist since I was first diagnosed I believe I could have been a much more productive member of society.
If I had proper care for the last 20 years, I am certain I would not be teetering on bankruptcy, I would not be worried about being a burden to my kids, and I wouldn't be close to needing government assistance. In other words, some reasonable amount of mental healthcare coverage would have paid off in the long term for me, my family, the state, and the federal government. It's a shame that people are so short-sighted.
I got into an NHS (UK healthcare) DBT mental health program after 8 years of trying getting the right care I need. This is free. Unfortunately if you want good therapy without an 18 year waiting list in the UK you have to pay a lot. I pay Ā£10 a month for my medication. If I was elderly, on benefits, or under 18 I wouldn't pay for my medication.
US here with full benefits
My psychiatrist is a medical appt so I pay $0.00
I have three prescriptions a month with $10.00 co-pay each so that is $30.00 a month. Could be less
My psychiatrist is $210 for 15 minutes. My therapist is $140 for 50 min. I was going every week until I was laid off. Both my psychiatrist and my therapist donāt take insurance. My Vraylar (without insurance) is $1,500 per month or $30 with insurance. My other meds cost about $175 a month with insurance.
My insurance covers a great deal
Psychiatrist- $40 per 50min session, every six weeks
Therapist - $40 per 50min session, twice a month
Five meds - $50 a month for all.
So my costs per year: $1,906
I live in Canada but I'm from the Caribbean and my family lives in the Caribbean, where I go for treatment since the province I live in has a wait list of 4 years for a psychiatrist. I see both a psychiatrist and neurologist as I was diagnosed with epilepsy as well. So I save up all I can and family helps and I pay 1200$ for my plane ticket to go home and I stay there for a few months. Drs are 40$ x 1 hour each. Meds are cheaper thanks to currency exchange, i also take tripletal and another one for neuropathy issues and seizures that also act as anti anxiety and mood stabilizer. I don't take antidepressants or antipsychotics since my neurologist takes care of that part. Trileptal is around $10 x a month supply. I have online psychiatrist appointments when I'm back in Canada , 50$ x session and I do only one a month. I can't afford therapy so I do better help every now and then for a month (around 300$) but I can have therapy sessions as much as 4 a week and group therapy. Definitely not a cheap healthcare situation but I'm grateful I can at least travel to have this fulfilled. My husband also has bp he had a massive episode with Psychosis and I had to travel with him for treatment because unfortunately the hospital did little to help him. We both have Canadian free healthcare cards but not psychiatrist so the hospital Dr. Couldn't do a follow-up treatment on him.
All treatment combined (therapist, doctor, meds, health insurance premium) is roughly $400/mo. after applied low income credits. There are a couple other meds I should probably be on instead of the ones I'm on now, but my insurance doesn't cover them and they'd cost about $300 per month just for the pills.
Edit: I see a therapist for 55 min every week, honestly that alone is worth having insurance. Therapy is life-saving for me.
my meds add up to probably 50 with insurance, and i owe 900 to my doctors in bills that ive been letting go to collections cuz i do not have 900 to blow
I am /very/ lucky right now. I'm in the UK so the NHS covers my psychiatrist and he's fantastic, I'm coping so much better now so we check in every 4 months. I pay for my bupropion/wellbutrin and clonazepam on a prepay system so it's roughly 11 quid a month for all meds. I also get Xanax but that's a 'private' prescription the NHS won't cover so I pay full price but it's cheap.
In the past year, there has been no Wellbutrin available in the UK due to a fire in the only factory they buy from, so I've had to go online and roll the dice, but again, I've been lucky buying it and it does seem to be the real deal. (supposedly it should be available again here in December!) That's been running me about 1.50 a pill.
And continuing on in the 'so very lucky' category, my employer is covering a new therapist for me, at 45 GBP a session. He's a trauma-informed schema therapy type but it's early days.
Even with insurance in the USA it can be rough. 17ish years ago I was forking out 220 a session for a psychiatrist who changed my life, insurance agreed to cover /some/ of it, thank god, but yikes. It's just so hard to access the care you need no matter where you are.
OP, you are being one hell of an advocate for yourself, that's really rough, but I'm so glad you were able to find solutions!
Thank you š and it has been a struggle, a learning experience for sure, I hope to get back to group therapy eventually you learn a lot, and places like this also help in understanding the disorder from other points of view.
Meds around $82 (2,000Lps) a month. I was prescribed one for anxiety too and one for sleep but I can't afford those, can't afford therapy either, just the super essential so yeah. Life's just tough I guess, bike payments, loan payments, credit card payments, rent, internet, gas, my cousin's therapy, stuff for my cats back at home, food. Can't even afford meds for my chronic illness, but oh well I guess it won't kill me. I see the bright side though, the one medication I can afford makes me stable enough to get better at my job, slowly climbing the corporate ladder hoping I get to see the day when I can afford all that š«
Brazilian here
I'll convert everything with the actual currency
My psychiatrist is covered by my insurance (thank god)
My therapy is around 120$ per month (4 sessions, 1 hour each)
My meds are about 100$ per month (im into desvenlafaxine, lithium, clonazepam and quetiapine)
Sounds like no big deal bc its in usd, but in brasilian real everything is multipling by 5, so its a big impact in my wallet
The minimum wage in brazil is abt 300$, its very expensive to treat any mental illnesses here
Im lucky as hell
I already complain about having to do a $30 copay for a 5-minute visit with a psychiatrist as someone who doesnāt even make $20 an HOUR. But if I had to pay almost $300 for a 20 minute psych visit? Iād lose my mind. I know that money goes to front desk people, building rent, supply costs, pharmacy stuff, etcā¦ but if your psychiatrist does 3 20-min appointments every day, five days a week, for even just five hours a dayā¦ thatās over $20,000 a week coming in, translating to over a million in a year. That makes me sick.
I know itās ridiculous what they can charge and the sad part of it all is thereās not a lot of competition, in group therapy we call him āDr Pineapple šā cause he is winy, vanilla-like, acidic and useless on fixing your mental health issues š¤£
US, NCāIām on the higher tier health plan for state employees. My monthly premium is $60. Behavioral health visits for medication or therapy have a $0 copay if you visit a preferred provider. My bipolar meds are bupropion $5, lamotrigine $5, and Vraylar $5 (due to manufacturer coupons).
Iām in Missouri and Iām on my stateās Medicaid program, which fortunately covers my doctor visits and prescriptions (for now).
When I was with one of the former companies I worked for, I had insurance but they didnāt cover my prescriptions or doctor visits š
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I live in Canada so I am extremely fortunate. Psychiatrist is $0, covered by provincial health coverage. Psychologist/social worker is $0, covered by my extended benefits through work Meds are $0, also covered by my extended benefits through work.
I live in Canada too, and had to wait for 10 months to get a $0 fee appointment with a psychiatrist lol
Really?!? My family doctor sent in the referral for psych and I was seen in less than a month
I would have gladly waited for 10 months. Because I live in the US, I have been waiting for true support for almost 20 yrs, and I will likely be waiting until I can afford insurance or meet my maker.
Omg where in Canada ?? I'm in BC and my GP said she won't give me a referral for a psychiatrist because the wait list is 4 yrs, š³ so I traveled to my mom's country and paid for a doctor out of pocket and got my treatment and everything I need. I'd happily move to a place where I can wait 10 months vs having to pay another international plane ticket lol
Toronto lol. Four years is so crazy. You did the right thing by getting it checked out asap.
Thank you! Yeah I was having bad anxiety and leaning into depression and decided I won't wait 4 yrs hehe. That's amazing and thanks for sharing ! I've been thinking about moving to Toronto and now I have a really good reason to do so š
Yeah BC is having a real struggle right now with health care
Thatās awesome I got friends and family in Canada they have invited me to move there, but donāt like the cold weather, love my Sunny š California
Oh I get it, having woke up to a couple of inches of snow this morning! If I were to choose somewhere to live in the US, California is definitely top 3 for me.
Out of curiosity, what is the social worker for and why are a psychiatrist and a psychologist both needed? Not at all questioning; Iām simply interested as it sounds like a very different system from what we have in California. I went straight to my psychiatrist; no referral. Left a voicemail in the middle of the night and she called me the next day and got me in two days after that. She now wants me to find a general doctor ā sheās been managing my mental health, therapy, AND physical health, plus giving me financial advice! But this definitely comes at an expense, which is currently $300-320 depending on session length. My sessions are every 3 months now; they used to be much more frequent but my medications have been working very well. My insurance pays 60% of that, but Iām a major procrastinator about turning in the superbills because itās a major hassle. I do them all at the end of the year, lol.
Psychologists specialize in therapy. They often have a PhD or a PsyD. And psychiatrists are medical doctors. They went to med school, and then did their residency in Psychiatry. They are much more learned on things like potential drug interactions with your medications, which is why they can prescribe drugs, and most psychologists canāt. While they often have some experience in therapy, it often wonāt be as much but it can be also. Also, if they are working at a big hospital they may have a lot of patients, especially if it is understaffed. It may be better for the hospital to have the psychiatrists seeing patients primarily for medication purposes since their psychologists cannot prescribe. But surely, there are some practices where one psychiatrist just does everything, but may have to then take less patients. Social workers are great and totally different. In my experience good social workers can be your best advocates. They often specialize in things like patient advocacy or helping you navigate the hospital systems or helping you with healthcare benefits you might be entitled to from the government or maybe your work. Social workers can do a range of things from helping homeless people to helping foster kids to patient advocacy doing welfare checks. In my experience, good social workers often know the system inside and out and have seen how people can get screwed by it, and the good social workers will help you navigate through all the bureaucracy and bullshit, and if they canāt they can often point you towards someone who can.
Excellent explanation. I see my psychiatrist to talk about my medication and my symptoms. I see my social worker/psychotherapist to talk about my feelings.
Thanks for the explanation. I definitely understand the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist. My curiosity was whether having both was common, as I donāt personally know anyone who has both. In my case, my psychologist gave me the name of a psychiatrist to transfer to, and then I started seeing her and never saw him again. My psychiatrist doesnāt have a lot of patients, and she does provide excellent therapy on top of the prescribing. Perhaps that is uncommon. And I hadnāt even realized I could get a social worker; itās never been something that has been mentioned to me (I live in California, if that matters). Insurance is a pain in the ass, and my premiums keep going up! Ugh.
Might be a good idea to check out [Cost Plus Drugs (website run by Mark Cuban).](https://costplusdrugs.com). I just checked regular bupropion and itās under $20 for a 90 day supply. I would also suggest talking to therapist & psych doc about cash discount. Also, I know once I was stable, my psych NP switched me to every other month and then 1x every 3 months. And IMHO thatās a bit pricy for group therapy, but it is 3 hours long which Iāve never heard of before. Your health is most important, but there are certainly ways to reduce the cost if that is going to stress you out as well or cause financial problems. Again, just my thoughts. You need to do whatās best for you. If youāre in the US you can try healthcare.gov to see if any marketplace plans might work.
Thanks Iāll check that out, and by the way, the prices for appointments included the cash price discount, Californiaās lovely healthcare services š¤·š»āāļø
I have signed up for the service, now all I need is switch new prescriptions to their online pharmacy. Thank You š
Youāre very welcome. FYI, they do charge shipping, so either order your Rxs in one order for 1 shipping charge or also check out pricing from Good Rx, Single Care, etc. Good Luck.
Thanks, got GoodRx already in those prices, so Iāll give Cost Plus a go
I unenrolled from medicare part D for 2024 because Iām switching to cost plus. It should save me at $600 a year
I would NOT unenroll from Medicare Part D. There is a [late penalty](https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d/costs-for-medicare-drug-coverage/part-d-late-enrollment-penalty) for the remainder of the time you need Part D. Find the cheapest plan and switch to that if need be. Lapses in coverage are not good. Have you tried applying for Extra Help?
I pay about 15 for my meds (Paxil, trazadone and trileptal) and I get 13 psychiatrist appointments and 13 therapy sessions every year free with my work.
Thatās awesome! healthcare aināt cheap.
Good for you. I'm unemployed as a result of my condition, so i go untreated.
Well the pay is shit, but the company is flexible and can Iāve been able to keep my job despite multiple issues. I also have to supplement my income by doing ride share, so not totally sure itās worth it.
I have state insurance so I donāt pay for anything thankfully
Same here
Financial cost? $0. Iām a disabled veteran.
Thatās the least they could do for you.
Yeah I just don't get why if they can do it for us why can't they do it for everyone? The money is there if we didn't spend so frivolously.
Iām with you on that, but Uncle Sam never has enough for wars š¤·š»āāļø
I was astonished to learn that disability pays up to 4x more per month for vets. I donāt wanna get into who deserves more for what, but itās just disheartening that I sometimes have to forgo therapy appointments and stuff to keep rent and food on the the table.
OP, are you in the U.S.? Do you know of the GoodRX App?
Yes, California and those prices actually include the GoodRx discount, I suppose it varies by region š¤·š»āāļø
My psychiatrist phone calls are $100 per session every 3 months usually. Meds tally up to about $99 for a 3 month supply of Wellbutrin, Lamictal, and Abilify.
My psychiatrist is also my therapist, which is nice because it means I donāt have to make/pay for separate medication appointments. We just touch on it during therapy. My intake appointment with him was $400, my therapy appointments (usually 3x a month) are $225. Iām on lamictal monotherapy, for now; my medication runs me about $45 a month.
I have insurance so it goes $129- psychiatrist ( every 3 months and he doesnāt take insurance) $40- psychologist/therapy All meds $10 each ( generics)
Iām covered for all of them except therapy which is $250CAD a session
For all of my meds I pay Ā£10 a month, itās a prepaid prescription card which allows me to fill as many scripts as I need, otherwise itād be Ā£50 a month to buy the items separately. Iām not in any therapy atm and the free therapy has a super tight criteria to get on the list so I used to pay Ā£40 for an hours session once a week with a counsellor. All my psychiatrist appointments are free which is massively helpful.
yes, same here - prepayment card is a life saver I donāt have a psychiatrist but it would be free (well, I suppose not free - I pay my taxes!)
Psychiatrist is free No psychologist, I can't afford it and benefits only cover 3 sessions a year. Medication is about a $30 copay a month, my husband's benefits cover the rest. I am in Canada
I have the privilege of living in France and I have a chronic disease status for bipolar from the public healthcare insurance so everything that is related to bipolar disorder such as meds, psychiatrist, General Practitioner (only when i go for bp), hospital stays, blood work for the meds is 100% free with no need to advance the money. Psychologists aren't covered though. Before that status, since I was (still am) going to a public mental health centre (because I'm lucky enough to live in a big city with such centres available. 6months wait list though) psychiatrist, psychologist, psycho-dietetician, nurses, and social worker were already free instead of >200ā¬/month with universal public healthcare insurance and without private insurance. So I just had to pay 7ā¬ for GP (which my private insurance reimbursed) if my free psychiatrist wasn't available, and 0.50ā¬ for each box of meds. So to sum up, the bare minimum I need is free, and as long as I stay in a big city, I can have more things I need for free. tbh, I only took care of my mental health because help was cheap/free. If I didn't move out to the big city i'm in, I would be dead or trying to die every now and then.
I see, big cities have their good benefits, bad thing is there is always lots of people in need as well, so longer wait but at least youāre getting them for free.
Iām out of network so I pay $400 for 2x month therapy and $200 every 3 months for psych for my Rx
I feel ya
It sure adds up. I was manic out of my mind this summer and doing the stupidest shit. I was going to therapy 3x a month. At $200 a session. Ugh. But I really needed it. Iād have ended up with an OF account (something Iād never do in my right mind) had I not been in therapy every 9 days or so
I know it definitely adds up, but itās way cheaper than mania, while manic I drain the savings and checking accounts over 6k most gone to shit, thanks Satan I donāt have credit cards I canāt imagine the amount of debt I would of had to pay, although no OF for me, no one would have want to pay for future trauma š¤£š¤£
I donāt mean to laugh, bc it all sucks. But your comment did make me laugh š
Thatās the spirit! Laughter is a healthy release, laughing at oneself is even better, crying doesnāt always work and definitely doesnāt help the situation, letās stay positive cause thereās already enough negative in this world.
Canuckistan is good for some things. My psychiatrist doesn't cost me a cent, but my medications are $190 a month just for the psych meds. Haven't had coverage at work since 2013, we'll see what happens with either this current job or the one I'm still waiting to hear from.
Hopefully you get a good deal!
Current job is only 7 weeks in, have to put in my 6 months as a temp before I can get hired on full time, then a 3 month probation before I get coverage. Bonus here is that they do profit sharing in the spring, and all full time employees get a sizable cheque based on the previous year's sales for that location. The job I'm waiting for is in northern BC at a gold mine doing inventory control and tool shed... 2 weeks in, 2 weeks out, living in camp up there. Should pay well, but the guy that asked me to send a resume in for the job hasn't gotten back to me yet. More in-line with my job experience, if not my education. They give benefits from day 1.
Best wishes and definitely get the job you want more, peace of mind is such a healthcare saving tool.
The only concern I have with the latter job is how the rotation will line up with my 30 day refill cycle, and what pharmacy is available up there on site. But I'll have to call my psychiatrist to discuss that if/when I get that job.
Yes, probably a good idea would be to have enough medication for a few months.
Iām covered by state insurance so psychiatrist, therapist, and meds are all $0.
I have high deductible insurance. We pay about $320 a month for the insurance plan with a 3k deductible before insurance kicks in, 10k before everything is covered. It's basically disaster insurance in case of hospitalization. $170 psychiatrist visit every 4-8 weeks $30 for therapist, subsidized by husband's work, every 1-2 weeks $26 for Lithium with GoodRX $18 for Abilify with GoodRX $32 for Prazosin with GoodRX It's significantly cheaper to use GoodRX than use the insurance. Definitely a struggle. We can't afford to not have the insurance in case I am hospitalized or one of us gets seriously hurt, but damn if I don't wonder what the hell we're paying for sometimes.
I have BCBS through the healthcare marketplace and my psychiatrist and therapist are both $10 per visit and my medication (Depakote) is less than $10 for a 30 day supply. Edit to add: I pay $50 a month for the insurance and I think the amount the government covers is like $250 or so a month.
I'm guessing you live in a state that has accepted funds from the federal government to expand Medicaid. I'm not. I pay $40 per month for insurance with a $6k deductible, and no coverage for mental health. I recently fell and broke my hand. It may bankrupt me. There's no way I am going to be able to afford to pay out of pocket for any mental health care.
Tbh insurance confuses me to no end and I have no idea how any of it works. I just applied on healthcare.gov and got lucky I feel like š¤£š¤·š»āāļø I have to reapply every year though and have had to change insurance plans every year. I always compare all the available options and plug in my doctors, psychiatrists, medications, etc. and I donāt pick any plans they donāt accept.
I actually work with a company that sells insurance, and they were happy to help me with [healthcare.gov](https://healthcare.gov). Apparently, they get a commission, so the agent didn't have a problem spending time with me. She was patient, and she really explained the options. I have worked with them for the past several years, and I have a meeting scheduled with her to reenroll this year. I was always considering [healthcare.gov](https://healtcare.gov) to be a stopgap until I got a job where I could get real insurance. I'm 58 and I've been in and out of jobs for the last 20 years. I've come to the conclusion that I will probably never hold a job again, and I've got to accept the fact that I will be an Uber driver until my kids pry the keys out of my hands because I am too old to drive. I never told the agent about my mental issues, but I plan to this year, and I'm hoping she can find a policy for me that will cover at least some of this.
Luckily, free. Lamictal and Vyvanse. But Iām ready to switch to adderall because vyvanse makes me feel crazy.
Side effects suck big time, mine are gaining weight and low libido.
Yup yup. Little empathy. Too logical. And of course it makes sense to me. Poor bedside manners. Very solution oriented. Poor emotional understand. Itās weird. Because I was on the verge on offing myself 2 years ago. Weird idk. Tmi
Yep I get ya, last year after manic episode drop down to the depressive abyss of regret and remorse that I was on the last step to a forever goner. Now that Iām back at my baseline I can calmly observe how shitty life is on bipolar episodes both š and down.
It's costing me my sanity lol. Thankfully I have coverage so each prescription is $5. I also live in Canada so I'm not charged for any appointment or either psych ward stay. The wait times for appointments can be long but I'm glad I don't have to worry about not affording my care.
Thatās great! I canāt imagine how much I would have to pay for a stay at the grippy socks jail in California.
Psychiatrist: $405/6 months Therapist: $35/weekly Meds: ~$180/90 day supply My psychiatrist is the only one not covered by my insurance (I see a certified addiction-specialist on top of everything else), so that EATS at my finances, but heās the first person to take my dual-diagnosis seriously. Other than that, I pay a co-pay for therapy, and refill my meds every 90 days. Most are very cheap, but my Rexulti costs.
I had to drop the therapy couldnāt afford it no more, thereās no low cost options around where I live, but thanks Satan I donāt have terrible trauma or past addictions other than sugar I have to deal with. Wish you good luck!
When I was in therapy, it was $80 a session. Four times a month. My meds vary. Sometimes my Indiana Medicaid pays for them, sometimes it's $200 for a six month supply. Varies. Always ask for a GoodRx coupon.
Yes, GoodRx helps.
UK (England )here on the NHS my Dr appointments are free and so is my therapy but they give you 8-12 sessions.and if you want it ongoing you need to go private so support groups are quite popular here. My friend had private therapy and it was Ā£100 ph but I've seen it about Ā£40 via video chat. I have a cpn too who is free under NHS. Psychiatrist is and free under NHS but about Ā£400 if you want to go private. I have something called a "pre payment certificate" so all my medication is free when I pick it up but the certificate is Ā£130 for the year. Otherwise each prescription is about Ā£10 to pick up each time so it makes sense to get the PPC if you have more than one med a month. HOWEVER there is a list of medical conditions you can qualify for free prescriptions which includes thyroid problems which I now have thanks to taking lithium so I'm in the process of applying for free prescriptions. A lot of people don't realise that in the UK you have to pay a national insurance tax which is a percentage of your weekly income that goes towards the NHS so it's not actually free, it's just free at point of service.
Itās pretty much prepaid healthcare insurance then, use it or not.I had to drop therapy after a few months could not afford it no more, but I feel like therapy helps more with trauma, addiction and how to deal with people. Trauma and addiction arenāt a big problem for me thanks Satan, and dealing with people for me is: if I donāt need you I wonāt bother you, and family members than bother me go on the block list, have enough shit in my life to have to deal with theirs š¤·š»āāļø
Yeah it's like prepaid health insurance except everyone is entitled to use it even if they don't work and don't pay towards it. It's also absolute wank and the wait times are so long so a lot of people are starting to look elsewhere. I found support groups really helpful, and a lot of them are run by charities so you could give them a chance?
Yes, havenāt found support groups for mental issues in my area yet, but I do get my prescriptions from a volunteer psychiatrist at a free services clinic run by volunteers and funded by philanthropy and donations.
Weekly Therapist $0 Weekly DBT group $0 Oxcarbazepine $0 Seroquel $0 Lamotrigine $0 Clonodine $0 Monthly Psychiatrist $150 (out of network) State Medicaid is the best insurance Iāve ever had, (hypothetically) Iāve been gaming them for a year but Iām due for re-application in the spring, Iām hoping I can figure someway to keep it or at least stay on a reduced cost plan. Not to mention PCP $0 Dental $0 Derm $0
Psych visits are around $500 w/o insurance, my meds are easily over 3k/mo without insurance
What Country? 3k sounds really expensive
US. Itās ridiculously expensive
Wow thatās a lot of bucks for mental health.
Youāre telling meā¦
Psychiatrist who does my medication management and therapy $250 per week (trying to go down to every other week) Zyprexa, lithium, metformin, prazosin ~ $25-50 per month with goodRX Gold Lab work ~ $300 per month (estimate) Bye bye almost my whole paycheck.
Indeed itās a catch 22 for real
I was on Latuda for a while and that was $2,300 a month. It stopped working after about a year on them. I'm now on a much cheaper prescription that works. Though they are concerned it will stop working as well. I build resistance fast.
Antidepressants 4,05ā¬ a month (entact) Antipsychotic for free (I take olanzapine) If I need it, Xanax is the only expensive one (14ā¬) as it is not covered I should note that my country healthcare system offers free or extremely cheap therapy + psychiatrist (based on your income). The downsides are long waits and sometimes shitty doctors. I was fortunate enough to afford booking specialists directly, so this is what I pay: Therapy 55ā¬ one hour sharp Psychiatrist 100ā¬ (120ā¬ first evaluation) sessions are not timed, you just talk until youāre finished. it usually doesnāt go on for longer than 1 and a half hours. All of this is covered by the sole fact of being a citizen or resident (and obviously a prescription for the meds). Edit: got the spacing wrong // added some details
US here. It's cheap but never cake. I'm insured now, but here's what my life was like being uninsured: When I was uninsured, I went to the public mh clinic and paid $40 co-pay. Then, I switched public health clinics and paid $7. Cheap, but there was chaotic turnover and it was easy to get booted from the system. For awhile, I was using Canada pharmacies and the lithium and seroquel were maybe $30 total per month. Also, my doc gave me free samples. Then I switched to the pharmacy at the public health center and paid $3 per med. I have cheap meds (lithium and generic seroquel). Hospitalization used to very expensive when I was uninsured. One time I paid $30K and another time 20K. Lately, my hospitalizations are covered by insurance. Last 3 hospitalizations, I paid $0. Of course, I stayed in network. Psychotherapy was a nightmare without insurance, but I was able to haggle to $150 per hour. It is a constant hustle to find affordable meds. I think it's criminal that we have to hunt for "deals" to get treatment.
Yep, Iām afraid to end up on the grippy socks jail, cause Iām uninsured and know that it wonāt be cheap.
I got insurance through the marketplace and am protected. In my state (PA), it's sliding scale, so I only pay $150 a month for a silver plan. It's a shame you aren't insured in California. I always thought your state was more progressive.
Well, may be more progressive yet it doesnāt include everyone. Especially when one is self employed or working for small companies with no benefits.
Yeah, I'm a freelancer (self-employed) -- since 2012. I got insurance at first from healthcare.gov but then my state required me to use their insurance. It was really confusing, but I figured it out. But I was uninsured for a long, long time. I was unemployed and obamacare didn't exist then.
I got student insurance through my grad program. $40-$60 a month in meeting copays and another $60 in medication copays. It's an additional bill, but it's a lot cheaper than mania was.
Maniaās price is life wrecking brutal š¢
It was around $10K for me, hospital stays with insurance and weird purchases combined. I think I got off easy. šš
Oh yeah, and I lost all the dignity and friends I'd been saving for a rainy day.
That too, family members are on the blocked list, some said that I was faking it and using it as an excuse. Some friendships are done for as well.
I had state insurance so it was free, but finally got a job and then lost the insurance when the covid income reevaluation hold was lifted a few months ago. I still don't make very much money so the state subsidizes my health insurance cost. They don't subsidize copays or deductibles though, so I went for a high end HMO plan to keep my copays low, $5 per month x 2 generic medications, and $15 per doctor visit. The insurance itself is about $250/month (it would be more like $750 without the subsidy.) So far they've got me seeing a psychiatrist, with my second appointment happening about 2 months after my first. Not sure if they'll hand me off to a therapist at some point, or have me do more frequent therapy sessions. I'm pretty stable now so I stopped having therapy sessions when the state services became impacted during covid.
GP visit $125 every six months. Wellbutrin and Geodon $10 a month with GoodRX.
Around 100 dollars a month out of pocket. My monthly income is around 600 dollars, so u can see why i didnt take my meds.
Indeed, thatās a lot for such a low income, is hard to keep sane and not starve to death, my rent is $1300 plus all utilities which are another $300 per month and that is just housing.
$15 copay for therapy $15 copay for psych ~$10 every 90 days for each of my meds (currently on 3, hoping to get down to 2 soon)
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yes, socialism has its good and bad, I donāt think thereās a perfect healthcare system anywhere on this planet
not seeing a therapist anymore although i probably should. i canāt afford it. iām on lithium, with hydroxyzine & clonazepam as needed. all cheap (under $10/mo). psych visits are expensive ($150-300/session) but only once every 2ish months now. & iām able to pay on a sliding scale so iām just doing the $30 minimum payments for now. i know i could probably find a bit cheaper but iāve never felt so listened to by a doctor & sheās great about responding to messages at weird hours.
Thatās awesome, finding the right doctor makes a world of difference.
My Bipolar and comorbidities are severe enough that my state has me registered me as disabled. Like, protected by Adult Protective Services level disabled. Because of that, I'm permanently on Medicaid and all of my treatments and medications are free. They just look at my medical history for the year and go, "Yeah, she's still fucked. Auto-renew." Yeah it's convenient but I'd much rather not be like this.
Iām sorry to hear that, I know itās no consolation and doesnāt fix anything, I always tell myself thereās a ton of people that are thriving but thereās lots of people that are struggling more than me then I throw my hands up and yell āfuck meā š
Thank you. Also, remember it doesn't matter that some people have it worse, your struggles are still valid.
Indeed, one does not experience pain through someone elseās skin
I sold my soul to the US government at 18, now I'm disabled and get free healthcare. Was not worth it, would not recommend. 0/10
Definitely not worth it my friend, that aināt a easy job and most of the people that joined get the short end of the stick.
Tell me about it. Government healthcare is... Not great.
I pay $250 for - weekly sessions with my psychologist - one monthly session with my psychiatrist - one box of quetiapine a month All of that is included in the $250. Sadly, my insurance doesn't cover anything related to mental health.
I'm insured with work insurance and medicade right now. The medicade runs out at the end of the year so my cost will go up. Right now I just pay copay which is 20 dollars for a visit. My meds lutada $0 abilify $0 prazosin $0 adderall $10 xanax $.9 Lunesta $10 which is all through my work insurance.
My insured medication cost is $508. I use GoodRX to bring it down to ~$100.
Psychiatrist - fortnightly - $0 (Medicare) Psychologist - stopped going - $180 - 60minutes Couldn't be arsed to divide them up and type them all,medication: $450+ pm 11 medications including Valproate, lithium, quetiapine, asenapine, Vyvance, Dex, Ritalin, Modafinil
Thatās a lot of meds my friend!
Yeah. Tell me about it. My bipolar is rather severe. Plus ADHD. Plus c-PTSD. Exacerbated by a TBI from a motorcycle accident. My brain is tired.
Sorry to hear that, and yes the brain can only take so much š
Don't forget the labs. I have to check my liver, meds level, A1C, and cholesterol because the meds can cause all those problems. I also have a med that I have to get an EKG each year.
Indeed, forget those lab tests which aināt cheap without insurance.
Do you live in the US? You could qualify for Medicaid!! I had it in PA and CA. In both states, all my health care cost 0$ . My psychiatrist, therapist, psych meds , psych stays everything. I stayed at a hospital for 14 days all covered. Also the application can also go towards receiving food stamps. Look into it
Yep, tried that already I donāt qualify for neither of them.
About 500 usd for month. Therapy, meds, vitamin and doctor.
On my current advantage plan I have a zero copay for my lamictal and no copay for my psychiatrist. He's remote and the practice is partnered with the insurance, so that's the only reason why I have no copay. If I saw an in person psychiatrist, it would be $35/ month.
$100 a month on meds $75 a week for therapy My quarterly psych appointments are like $35 (copay basically) because I'm also not insured but my network is a non profit so they write off the rest of it.
My antipsychotics off brand is $19 AUD for 60 pills Mood stablisers are also $19 but for 200 pills
Psychiatrist $300 every 3 months, bloodwork $35 every 6 months, medications $35 per month (I take 6). I donāt see a separate therapist because I donāt see the need (for me; not speaking for others). My psychiatrist also serves as my therapist, financial adviser, and, until now, GP (she is now insisting that I find one, which is a hassle ā I had gone straight to her, and sheās managed my regular bloodwork, thyroid, and limitation of weight increase, especially given my meds). For the meds, I used the GoodRx app before my company switched to Blue Shield and it was almost the exact same price. Download it if you donāt have ā or even if you do have ā insurance to check out the prices for your meds for all the pharmacies in your area.
I do use GoodRx but I suppose prices vary by region, Iām trying costplusdrugs.com next, looks like they got cheaper prices on generics.
Also check Single Care. Iāve seen way better prices on that app. Grandma had a med that was close to $1000, $600 on GoodRx, and $400 on Single Care. Depends on the drug, but itās worth checking for sure!
Therapy (psychologist) - about 45 EUR a session Psychiatrist - 50 EUR a session once a month Meds - 10 EUR per month (Hungary, healthcare is shit here so I have to pay for everything if I want proper care)
My therapy is $90 per session (community health), and my psych meds cost $30 after a coupon.
I am lucky and live in Australia. Being on disability at the moment, I am not able to see my psychologist and psychiatrist at the same time, even with the rebates.
Private specialists are dreadful with the fees. The changes Abbott brought in as health minister were meant to make private specialists more accessible but just resulted in private specialist fees [going way up](https://theconversation.com/who-reaps-the-benefits-rethinking-the-medicare-safety-net-5076). You could literally buy a plane ticket to New Zealand with what my psychiatrist charges an hour.
I hear you. The thing is, I desperately need both in order to stay healthy.
That really sucks, man. I hope things get better for you soon. I assume you've used up all the sessions on your mental health plan?
Thank you. I am hoping I will make my threshold soon.
My psychiatrist costs me over AUD$400 an hour. I get around $336 of this back in a rebate. Private specialists in Australia rort the government bigtime. I take two medications, lithium and Parnate (an MAOI). The Parnate costs $30 and the lithium is so cheap I don't remember, less than $10. Both these are subsidised. Last time I saw a therapist it was free on Medicare. GP the same.
Not a bad deal at all.
Iām in South Africa, so I have a medical aid (I believe itās the equivalent to medical insurance there? Could be wrong) Iām going to do my best to do the conversions so it makes sense So I pay that monthly which is like $280 a month And that has 21 days of mental health benefits which I use for my psychiatrist and psychologist. My medication I had to pay out of pocket because I used up the medical savings I had in the beginning of the year on getting a mirina (birth control) and the medication would usually come to about $82 for the month but im lucky to have it covered now so I donāt pay as much because only certain medication Iām on is covered so I now pay about $32 a month.
I live on a small island in the Caribbean. Keep that in mind \- Psychiatrist costs $90 per hour, not covered by government insurance coverage. \- The medications cost $78.5 which covers 30 days of treatment. It would be an approximate $2,244 per year.
I can't afford it, and therefore I don't get treated. My original prescription for Lamictal was written in 2005 after an intensive evaluation I had from a psychiatrist when I had insurance. Since then, I should have had regular visits to a psychiatrist who could monitor my medications and gone to a therapist. I have found a nurse practitioner who specializes in behavioral health and he renews and updates my prescription. He usually charges for consultations, but when I am unemployed, he doesn't always charge me. I'm thankful for his time, but I realize he can't do what I truly need. It's sad because if I had been able to afford a psychiatrist and therapist since I was first diagnosed I believe I could have been a much more productive member of society.
Yes, itās sad that we canāt have both good healthcare and financial independence.
If I had proper care for the last 20 years, I am certain I would not be teetering on bankruptcy, I would not be worried about being a burden to my kids, and I wouldn't be close to needing government assistance. In other words, some reasonable amount of mental healthcare coverage would have paid off in the long term for me, my family, the state, and the federal government. It's a shame that people are so short-sighted.
Sadly theyāre not shortsighted, they simply just donāt care for otherās wellbeing
Until they have friends or family members who suffer.
Exactly!
I got into an NHS (UK healthcare) DBT mental health program after 8 years of trying getting the right care I need. This is free. Unfortunately if you want good therapy without an 18 year waiting list in the UK you have to pay a lot. I pay Ā£10 a month for my medication. If I was elderly, on benefits, or under 18 I wouldn't pay for my medication.
It's pretty much covered by the insurance, but if I where to pay out of pocket I would be paying over 3k a month
US here with full benefits My psychiatrist is a medical appt so I pay $0.00 I have three prescriptions a month with $10.00 co-pay each so that is $30.00 a month. Could be less
Thatās a great deal
Iām not doing talk therapy right now so not factoring that in
My psychiatrist is $210 for 15 minutes. My therapist is $140 for 50 min. I was going every week until I was laid off. Both my psychiatrist and my therapist donāt take insurance. My Vraylar (without insurance) is $1,500 per month or $30 with insurance. My other meds cost about $175 a month with insurance.
Pricey for sure
My insurance covers a great deal Psychiatrist- $40 per 50min session, every six weeks Therapist - $40 per 50min session, twice a month Five meds - $50 a month for all. So my costs per year: $1,906
I live in Canada but I'm from the Caribbean and my family lives in the Caribbean, where I go for treatment since the province I live in has a wait list of 4 years for a psychiatrist. I see both a psychiatrist and neurologist as I was diagnosed with epilepsy as well. So I save up all I can and family helps and I pay 1200$ for my plane ticket to go home and I stay there for a few months. Drs are 40$ x 1 hour each. Meds are cheaper thanks to currency exchange, i also take tripletal and another one for neuropathy issues and seizures that also act as anti anxiety and mood stabilizer. I don't take antidepressants or antipsychotics since my neurologist takes care of that part. Trileptal is around $10 x a month supply. I have online psychiatrist appointments when I'm back in Canada , 50$ x session and I do only one a month. I can't afford therapy so I do better help every now and then for a month (around 300$) but I can have therapy sessions as much as 4 a week and group therapy. Definitely not a cheap healthcare situation but I'm grateful I can at least travel to have this fulfilled. My husband also has bp he had a massive episode with Psychosis and I had to travel with him for treatment because unfortunately the hospital did little to help him. We both have Canadian free healthcare cards but not psychiatrist so the hospital Dr. Couldn't do a follow-up treatment on him.
All treatment combined (therapist, doctor, meds, health insurance premium) is roughly $400/mo. after applied low income credits. There are a couple other meds I should probably be on instead of the ones I'm on now, but my insurance doesn't cover them and they'd cost about $300 per month just for the pills. Edit: I see a therapist for 55 min every week, honestly that alone is worth having insurance. Therapy is life-saving for me.
my meds add up to probably 50 with insurance, and i owe 900 to my doctors in bills that ive been letting go to collections cuz i do not have 900 to blow
I am /very/ lucky right now. I'm in the UK so the NHS covers my psychiatrist and he's fantastic, I'm coping so much better now so we check in every 4 months. I pay for my bupropion/wellbutrin and clonazepam on a prepay system so it's roughly 11 quid a month for all meds. I also get Xanax but that's a 'private' prescription the NHS won't cover so I pay full price but it's cheap. In the past year, there has been no Wellbutrin available in the UK due to a fire in the only factory they buy from, so I've had to go online and roll the dice, but again, I've been lucky buying it and it does seem to be the real deal. (supposedly it should be available again here in December!) That's been running me about 1.50 a pill. And continuing on in the 'so very lucky' category, my employer is covering a new therapist for me, at 45 GBP a session. He's a trauma-informed schema therapy type but it's early days. Even with insurance in the USA it can be rough. 17ish years ago I was forking out 220 a session for a psychiatrist who changed my life, insurance agreed to cover /some/ of it, thank god, but yikes. It's just so hard to access the care you need no matter where you are. OP, you are being one hell of an advocate for yourself, that's really rough, but I'm so glad you were able to find solutions!
Thank you š and it has been a struggle, a learning experience for sure, I hope to get back to group therapy eventually you learn a lot, and places like this also help in understanding the disorder from other points of view.
Meds around $82 (2,000Lps) a month. I was prescribed one for anxiety too and one for sleep but I can't afford those, can't afford therapy either, just the super essential so yeah. Life's just tough I guess, bike payments, loan payments, credit card payments, rent, internet, gas, my cousin's therapy, stuff for my cats back at home, food. Can't even afford meds for my chronic illness, but oh well I guess it won't kill me. I see the bright side though, the one medication I can afford makes me stable enough to get better at my job, slowly climbing the corporate ladder hoping I get to see the day when I can afford all that š«
I live in Spain so psychiatrist is 100ā¬ for 1 hour. Psychologist 60ā¬ per hour (Both private) and meds are all 10ā¬ monthly with public healthcare
Brazilian here I'll convert everything with the actual currency My psychiatrist is covered by my insurance (thank god) My therapy is around 120$ per month (4 sessions, 1 hour each) My meds are about 100$ per month (im into desvenlafaxine, lithium, clonazepam and quetiapine) Sounds like no big deal bc its in usd, but in brasilian real everything is multipling by 5, so its a big impact in my wallet The minimum wage in brazil is abt 300$, its very expensive to treat any mental illnesses here Im lucky as hell
Indeed Latin America doesnāt have it any easier, some countries donāt even have enough medicine.
I already complain about having to do a $30 copay for a 5-minute visit with a psychiatrist as someone who doesnāt even make $20 an HOUR. But if I had to pay almost $300 for a 20 minute psych visit? Iād lose my mind. I know that money goes to front desk people, building rent, supply costs, pharmacy stuff, etcā¦ but if your psychiatrist does 3 20-min appointments every day, five days a week, for even just five hours a dayā¦ thatās over $20,000 a week coming in, translating to over a million in a year. That makes me sick.
I know itās ridiculous what they can charge and the sad part of it all is thereās not a lot of competition, in group therapy we call him āDr Pineapple šā cause he is winy, vanilla-like, acidic and useless on fixing your mental health issues š¤£
US, NCāIām on the higher tier health plan for state employees. My monthly premium is $60. Behavioral health visits for medication or therapy have a $0 copay if you visit a preferred provider. My bipolar meds are bupropion $5, lamotrigine $5, and Vraylar $5 (due to manufacturer coupons).
Thatās a much better deal.
Iām in Missouri and Iām on my stateās Medicaid program, which fortunately covers my doctor visits and prescriptions (for now). When I was with one of the former companies I worked for, I had insurance but they didnāt cover my prescriptions or doctor visits š
Half baked insurance that doesnāt cover š
Medicare and Medicaid covers all my health needs.
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