Best Insurance Companies For Mental Health

Why We Chose It: United Healthcare is our top overall choice for mental health coverage thanks to its impressive network and reputation coupled with 24/7 support for mental health issues, treatment options for substance abuse disorders, and excellent online resources.

For those struggling with mental health issues, easily accessible, ongoing support is essential. United Healthcare provides comprehensive mental health care resources, including telehealth, telephone support, treatment for substance abuse, and other behavioral health programs, making them an easy choice for our overall preference for mental health coverage. 

United Healthcare is an industry giant, with a network spanning more than 1.3 million doctors and 6,500 hospitals and other facilities across the United States. With an A rating for their financial stability from AM Best. According to the National Committee for Quality Assurance ratings, United also boasts a rating of 3.0 or better out of a maximum of 5 in most states that it offers service in.

It's straightforward to get a quote and buy a plan using United's online portal or the ACA Marketplace. Policies come in five tiers, from basic through comprehensive platinum coverage. Expect to pay from $500 per month for minimal coverage with an $8,150 deductible to $1,750 per month for the platinum plan with no deductible. The maximum you'll have to pay out-of-pocket is around $8,000. As with all marketplace plans, there are no annual limits for coverage.

Substance abuse is covered, and United also includes treatment options for gambling and compulsive spending. Policies usually cover both inpatient and outpatient treatment options such as detox and rehabilitation, but you may need to use in-network providers, depending on the plan. There's also a free and anonymous, around-the-clock helpline that allows plan members to connect to a specialized substance recovery advocate.

Prescription coverage is available with several policies. You can also customize your plan with supplemental insurance for dental or vision care, critical illness, hospitalization, travel, and more. United offers discounts when you bundle insurance options.

Marketplace plans are available to people of all ages, but you must wait for specific enrollment periods to join and then two to six weeks for coverage to begin.

United's plans that comply with ACA don't exclude pre-existing conditions but exclude any injuries from some sports, cosmetic treatments, and medical care outside the country.

Why We Chose It: Kaiser Permanente earned the best for customer service choice because of their consistent industry ratings for excellent customer satisfaction and range of options like psychiatric care for people with mental, emotional, and substance abuse problems.

Health industry leader Kaiser Permanente states that mental health and wellness services are essential to someone's total care experience. To that end, they provide a wide range of mental care options such as counseling and therapy, crisis intervention, addiction and recovery support, and help for eating disorders. This range of services coupled with their consistently high customer satisfaction ratings with J.D. Power and Associates made Kaiser our top customer service choice.

It is a managed care organization with its own network of 39 hospitals, 727 medical offices, and teams of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and clinical nurse specialists. Members can see any provider without referrals.

There's a range of therapy and treatment choices such as suicide prevention, depression and anxiety resources, counseling, therapy, and help for substance use on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Kaiser also provides online communities, support groups, podcasts, and wellness coaching to reduce stress. 

You can get a quotation for their bronze, silver, gold, and platinum policies on the Kaiser website. There is no exclusion for health conditions with their ACA plans, and people of all ages can purchase a plan. There are typical exclusions like elective or experimental procedures and long-term custodial care. Prescription drug coverage varies by plan, and you can customize policies with vision and dental riders. 

Monthly premiums start at $400 for the bronze plan with a deductible of $7,000 or $3,500 with a maximum out-of-pocket of $7,000. The coverage doesn't max out. Typical ACA waiting times apply of between two and six weeks. 

A significant drawback with Kaiser plans is that you'll need to be a resident of California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, or Washington, D.C.

Why We Chose It: Our top telehealth coverage pick is Cigna because they provide telehealth services, allowing their clients to connect with licensed counselors or psychiatrists around-the-clock. They also offer a nurse hotline service.

Cigna is a global insurance company and one of the oldest providers in the United States. When you choose a Cigna plan, you may not need out-of-network approvals, and they have excellent round-the-clock virtual care, which is why they took our top spot for telehealth services.

With Cigna, you can access their behavioral health network of licensed mental health providers, case management, inpatient and outpatient services, plus referrals to local community support groups, behavioral coaches, and online resources. Another Cigna perk is their Healthy Rewards program, with savings on massages and wellness programs.

You can find quotes for your location on their website. You'll find the ACA policies starting at around $300 for basic coverage with a $6,750 deductible and $8,150 maximum out-of-pocket. The cover doesn't max out, and the typical ACA waiting times apply.

Some plans include prescription drug coverage. You can also choose from a wide range of riders to customize your plan, including hospital indemnity, cancer treatment, lump-sum heart attack, and stroke insurance.

Cigna provides inpatient and outpatient treatment services for substance use issues and follows case management. Their exclusions include long-term care, non-medical counseling, and complementary medicine.

If you are considering a Cigna health insurance plan, you'll need to live in one of the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia.

Why We Chose It: We chose Aetna as best for additional resources because of its extensive range of online tools and information for mental health and well-being, coupled with extra benefits like acupuncture and chiropractic therapies.

Aetna's history dates back to 1853, and they now provide around 39 million people with Medicare Advantage plans, group insurance, and prescription drug coverage. One drawback with Aetna is that you can't buy individual health plans from them. This means that outside of Medicare & Medicaid supplements, you can only receive coverage from Aetna through an employer.

Aetna took our top position in the additional resources category because it is committed to putting an increased emphasis on mental health. They demonstrate this with an impressive range of different support options for behavioral health and specific programs to help people manage mental illnesses.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) consistently rank Aetna highly in its annual star ratings. It has a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) by AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) rates it as A+, for excellent customer service.

Aetna plans cover inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment solutions, and it is committed to patient follow-up with its Continuing Care program that supports people after their treatment is completed.

If you are eligible for Medicare, you could opt for the Aetna Medicare Plus Plan. With this policy, you will pay a $0 monthly premium, $0 deductible, and have a maximum out-of-pocket of $999 per year. It includes prescription drug coverage.

As with all Medicare Advantage plans, coverage doesn't max out, and Aetna won't exclude you for pre-existing health conditions, but you will have to meet any Medicare Part A and Part B premiums. For most people, this means the standard Part B Medicare premium of $170.10 for 2022. Depending on when you enroll, you may have to wait 1–3 months for coverage to begin.

Aetna provides a range of additional health insurance options to customize your plans, such as dental and vision care, additional home help care, and foreign travel.

Depending on your plan, out-of-network services may be excluded or have additional costs. Other exclusions include experimental or investigational services, psychodrama, carbon dioxide, bioenergetic, and primal therapies.