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MIT Students' Frequently Asked Questions about Mental Health Services (MHS)
FAQ Major Topics:
Costs and Insurance
Does it cost anything to use the mental health service at MIT Medical?
For graduate and undergraduate students there is no charge for visits to the mental health Service at MIT Medical.
Are all mental health visits free?
Visits to the mental health Service at MIT Medical are free for MIT students. There may be a charge for appointments outside of MIT Medical.
How are mental health services covered if I am on my parents' insurance?
There is no charge for visits to the mental health service at MIT Medical. If you are referred outside of MIT Medical, then you will be charged according to the fee schedule that is arranged by your parents' insurance plan. Most health insurance plans have a certain number of visits that are fully covered or have a small co-payment. For many plans, this fee schedule may only apply to a limited list of providers. There is usually a phone number on the back of the insurance card that you can call to find out what the exact benefits are.
Will my parents find out if I use their insurance for mental
health prescriptions like Prozac or Zoloft?
Many of the undergrads seen in Mental Health Service
are on their parents' insurance. Psychiatrist Simon Lejeune,
a prescriber, says that when he prescribes for students on
their parents' insurance "no parent has ever been notified of the student
using the prescription benefit." The only issue he has
seen is that not all pharmacies take all insurance plans, but "usually
the big ones like CVS are able to." Checking with your
insurance company is the safest route to finding out how this
is handled. You may want to call the billing department of
the insurance company and ask if your parents would be notified
if the prescription benefit is used, or call the separate toll-free
number for behavioral health care coverage that is printed
on the back of most insurance cards.
How are mental health services covered if I have the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan?
Like any other student, you can be seen at no charge at MIT Medical. If you are referred out of MIT Medical, then the Extended Plan becomes the payor. The MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan uses Blue Cross Blue Shield for its outpatient mental health benefit. The person that you see must be a Blue Cross Blue Shield provider. (Almost all mental health professionals in Massachusetts are Blue Cross providers.) The plan pays for 24 visits per year. It pays 100% of the cost for the first 12 visits and 80% of the cost for the next 12 visits. The visits can be no more frequent than weekly.
What if I want to see a clinician outside MIT? Is that covered by the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan?
Sessions outside of MIT Medical are covered by whatever insurance plan you have. If you have the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan, then the sessions are covered 100% for the first 12 sessions and then 80% for the next 12 sessions as long as the clinician you are seeing is a Blue Cross provider. However, you must be referred to the outside provider by someone at MIT Medical. If you have a clinician in mind or are already seeing a clinician, you do not necessarily have to make an appointment to get this kind of referral; it can be done over the phone.
The above was prepared by the mental health work group of the MIT Student Health Advisory Council with input from the staff of the mental health service at MIT Medical. This source should be acknowledged if the material is used.
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