Getting the proper care for your anxiety disorder is paramount to feeling better. If you’re new to finding help for social anxiety, panic disorder, GAD, OCD, or agoraphobia, you will soon find out what I have come to know over the years– that Anxiety isn’t cheap.
Over 20 years ago, in 1990, the costs associated with anxiety disorders were $46.6 billion, 31.5% of total expenditures for mental illness. Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Therapists, doctors, medications, and anxiety treatment programs usually aren’t free. But take heart. Here are some things you can do to help keep costs to a minimum.
9 Tips to Help Keep Costs Down
1. If you plan to see a therapist, work within your insurance plan. Stay in your network if possible. You may only have to pay a fraction of the cost of what the therapist normally charges if he or she participates in your network. So it pays to do some research.
2. Ask your doctor to prescribe generic medication. Generics can be significantly cheaper than brand name medications.
3. If appropriate, ask your doctor about writing a prescription for a double dose pill, so that you can split them in half.
4. Your medical expenses may be deductible. If your family’s total health-care costs for the year exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income, you may be eligible for a medical expense tax deduction. To find out which expenses qualify, see http://www.irs.gov/
5. Shop around for the best pharmacy. Believe it or not, pharmacies sometimes charge very different prices for the same drugs. Consumer Reports found that prices for the same bottle of pills can vary by more than $100. Retail giants Walmart and Target both have $4 generic drug lists.
6. Flex Your Spending If your employer offers a flexible spending account (FSA), take advantage of it. An FSA allows an employee to set aside a portion of his or her earnings to pay for qualified expenses — not covered by insurance — that they regularly pay for, such as: deductibles, co-pays, medications, psychologists, and more.
7. Don’t Accept “No” If your insurance company won’t pay for a service you think you deserve, don’t just give up. Appeal the decision.
8. If you don’t have insurance, or are under insured, shop around. Looking to buy cheap low cost individual health insurance? Compare free instant quotes for affordable health insurance plans available in your area – without giving your email or phone number — at Health Plan One .
9. For anxiety self help programs such as Panic Away and others, read product reviews before you buy, to make sure the program is right for you. See my comprehensive list of product reviews.
I wish you peace,
Jill G.
ps- In addition to the above suggestions, consider lifestyle and dietary changes, such as an exercise plan, meditation, yoga, reducing caffeine, and getting adequate rest. Being healthy not only reduces your overall health care costs, it can reduce your anxiety and make life more enjoyable too.
photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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