Some health conditions can change your mood and behavior. Learn about different kinds of behavioral and mental health conditions, symptoms and treatments, and find out what health plans cover.
Diagnosing behavioral and mental health conditions early makes them easier to treat. Start by finding a doctor in your health plan network who is qualified to treat these conditions.*
A mental health condition changes how a person thinks, feels and acts. Some common mental health conditions include
Behavioral health is a term that spans the full spectrum of mental and emotional well-being, including how people cope with day-to-day challenges. The term also includes the treatment of mental illnesses, such as depression or anxiety, as well as substance use disorder and other addictive behaviors.
Some common behavioral conditions include:
A common form of treatment is counseling with a psychiatrist or psychologist. This may include an overnight stay in a hospital (inpatient) or a visit to a doctor’s office (outpatient). Your doctor may also request psychological tests or prescribe medications.
Blue Cross and Blue Plus health plans typically cover behavioral and mental health services. The services covered for inpatient or outpatient care, the copays or coinsurance amounts, and the network of providers may be different for each plan.
Many plans also cover medications to treat mental health. To find out if your plan covers your prescription, check your prescription benefits and plan formulary (the list of covered drugs). Some tests and medications might require authorization before your plan will cover them.
Some Blue Cross or Blue Plus plans offer online programs to help treat behavioral or mental health symptoms. These plans often cost less than an office visit.
To find out if your plan covers these online programs, call the number on the back of your ID card.
This is general information about how plan benefits work. Review the Summary of Benefits and Coverage and your specific health plan benefits book for information about how your plan works.
* It’s up to you to always check if your provider is in your health plan network before you receive services. Not all providers are in every network. You may pay more or for all of your health care costs if your provider is out of your network or does not have a contract with Blue Cross (this is called a non-participating provider). You can verify if your provider is in your network by calling customer service at the number on the back of your member ID card.
*Not all plans offer Learn to Live or Doctor On Demand. Some members may not have access to this program. Please contact customer service with the phone number on the back of your Blue Cross ID card to verify your coverage.