Discussion In the US does insurance pay for psych ward stays?

[byebyered]

I've been thinking about voluntary hold . The only thing that's stopping me is having a huge medical bill afterwards. Are psych wards helpful ? Is it worth it? I always hear bad experiences. How can I find all the psych wards in my state?

 

[makethepainstop]

I've been thinking about voluntary hold . The only thing that's stopping me is having a huge medical bill afterwards. Are psych wards helpful ? Is it worth it? I always hear bad experiences. How can I find all the psych wards in my state?

Check with your counties health departments. If this is truly what you want and need to do.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

You need to call your insurance company and ask. Every plan is different, some cover stuff like that, some don't.

 

[Seiko]

Mine was covered when I went at 14. As far as the experience in psych wards go—it was the worst experience of my life. Despite going voluntarily, they can absolutely hold you there if you express you want to leave. Maybe it's my particular experience, but all they do is remove all the possible ways you could kill yourself and provide the same quality of counseling/therapy on par as you would on the streets. Psych wards can 100% deprive you of your rights just as incarceration would.

 

[Cathy Ames]

You need to call your insurance company and ask. Every plan is different, some cover stuff like that, some don't.

Assuming you are in the US, nowadays all plans are supposed to cover mental health stuff to at least some extent, but you probably have to meet a deductible, there is likely to be limit (for example 30 days), you might need preapproval, and they'll probably want you to stay "in network" for it to be covered. Someone at the insurance company would be able to have the plan in front of them and explain it. The insurance company will have a list of which places are in their network.
Oops. Sorry @WhiteRabbit I quoted the incorrect person.

 

[autistocracy]

It depends on so many factors. Generally yes, but you should check if your deductible is met, and see what your out of pocket maximum is. You should also see if the facility is in-network. I hate that it's this complicated, but that's America for you. Also check if your insurance requires a referral. Sometimes, they deny higher levels of care if you were not referred by a GP.

 

[Pentobarbital_Plz]

A psych ward can be a place to take a break, do some journaling, get diagnosed, get prescribed meds fast, and meet others in person that struggle.

It's kind of like taking a vacation in a hospitalized jail, though. You might be strip searched upon arrival, and/or made to wear paper scrubs. You get your vitals taken throughout the day. They might try to draw your blood or do an EKG. You eat hospital food, which varies. (They're gonna try to feed you 6 times a day).
Every day, you're interrogated multiple times with "Are you having any thoughts of hurting yourself or others? Rate your pain 1-10. When was your last bowel movement?"

There is virtually no privacy. You're supposed to get checked on every 15 minutes, even while sleeping. You'll probably wear a bracelet with identifying information (full name, birthday). Your meal tray might be marked with a card with your name on it. They might take a photo of you after admission to put in their computer. They will call your name out in front of others to go talk to various staff. (If you do express suicidal ideation or they deem you as a threat to yourself, you might have someone posted up in the toilet with you.)

You'll meet a whole bunch of people, and it will be a doozy trying to keep up with them all. There are a LOT of people in a hospital. It's constantly bustling, even at night, and noises echo in the halls.

As soon as someone is discharged, a new person appears.

There's limited options for stuff to do.

You usually can't smoke.

Conversations and television programs might be monitored or censored.

At least in the US, there is usually a religious/spiritual element that can't be avoided. There might be crosses incorporated into the decor. There might be prayers incorporated into the "therapy". You might be guided to rely on your "higher power". Other patients might preach about "God" or quote verses.

If you start menstruating, you're supplied only shitty pads, and you might have to ask for one every time.

It's often really cold, too. Hospitals tend to blast the AC to keep down the germs.


All of that said, sometimes it's nice to take a break and just act loony in the loony bin. Color with crayons. Play with cards. And if you have medical or bodily concerns, you can attempt to address them as it is a hospital after all. You might even make a pal!

 

[Sapphire]

It depends on what insurance plan you have. You need to call your insurance company and ask them if they cover a voluntary commitment and for how long. Some insurance plans are better than others. Your insurance company can give you a list of hospitals that accept your insurance. Some insurance companies won't pay for a voluntary stay unless you get a referral from your doctor saying that it is necessary.

The level of care you get depends on the facility. I personally haven't found them very helpful. They don't provide any real treatment for the patients. They don't provide any in depth therapy or anything like that with a short term stay. The only thing they do is babysit you for a few days and then send you home with the same problems you came in with. When I was impatient, I spent the entire day watching TV and staring at the walls bored. The staff pretty much left the patients alone all day and didn't do anything to try to help us. It was a complete waste of time.

You don't receive better care of you are impatient vs outpatient. There is nothing they can do for you inpatient that you can't do as an outpatient. At most they will refer you to a psychiatrist or therapist when you are discharged. You can do this on your own as an outpatient if you think it will help you.

 

[SamTam33]

My experience was so long ago I don't know how much is still relevant today.

A YouTube search of what a psych ward is like (from the patients and doctors POV) quickly revealed that a voluntary admission does not guarantee a voluntary discharge.

Like someone else said - it can be a vacation of sorts. You get meds and talk to people in groups and one-on-one. No privacy. Constant checks. Lots of stuff done in unison with other patients: outdoors time, meals, lights out, etc.

But you get to be as crazy as you wanna be. Nothing shocks the staff.

I think the most useful aspect of voluntary admission is to keep you from doing something you don't want to do, but you're not sure if you have the willpower to abstain on your own.

Before admitting yourself, make a list of what you want the stay to accomplish. And be honest as to whether or not you think people you've never met (and who don't know you), can help you accomplish those things.