Insurance and Cost of Care

Mental Health Coverage

Frequently Asked Questions About Mental Health Coverage

  • Will my insurance cover my child for mental health care services at Seattle Children’s?

    It depends on the insurance plan you have. Even though most insurance plans cover mental health services, some plans use a different company with a different list of contracted providers.

    Seattle Children’s may not be an in-network provider for mental health services for your plan even if we are in-network for medical services.

    Call your insurance to find out about mental health benefits for your child including which mental health providers are included in your plan.

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  • My child has been to Seattle Children’s for other medical reasons, and Seattle Children’s was in-network for those. Is mental health insurance coverage different?

    Yes. Mental health benefits and providers are different than medical services benefits. Some insurance plans have Seattle Children’s as an in-network provider for medical services and out-of-network for mental health services.

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  • Which clinics/providers are considered mental health services at Seattle Children’s?

    Clinics:

    Providers:

    • Psychologists
    • Psychiatrists
    • Psychiatric nurse practitioners
    • Mental health therapists
    • Behavioral consultants
    • Residents, fellows or trainees in these fields
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  • Which insurance plans DO NOT include Seattle Children’s for mental health services?
    • Blue Cross Blue Shield – some out-of-state plans (check your plan)
    • Bridgespan (Multicare)
    • Carelon Behavioral Health (formerly Beacon Health Options)
    • Compsych
    • First Choice Confluence Health and HealthNet
    • Harmony Health
    • Humana
    • Kaiser Health Foundation Plan of Washington (formerly Group Health) – requires pre-authorization from behavioral health unit to be seen at Seattle Children’s for Alliant Plus POS, Options POS, Cooperative, Alliance, and Core plans.
    • Magellan
    • Mental Health Network (MHN)
    • Pacificare
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  • What if my plan is ON the list above?

    If your insurance plan is listed above, Seattle Children’s is not included as a mental health provider for your plan. You will need to call your insurance and have them refer you to a mental health provider who is in-network for your insurance plan.

    Even if your plan offers an out-of-network benefit, we are not accepting new patients for our mental health services if their insurance does not include Seattle Children’s as an in-network provider.

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  • What if my plan is NOT on this list?

    If you have a plan that is not listed, Seattle Children’s should be included as a mental health provider on your plan. It’s always best to call your insurance to verify mental health providers and benefits for your plan.

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  • What if my child has Washington Apple Health (Medicaid)?

    If your child is covered by Washington Apple Health, we accept all Medicaid Managed Care Organization plans (Amerigroup, Community Health Plan of Washington, Coordinated Care, Molina and United Health Care Community Plan).

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  • What do I ask my insurance company about mental health benefits?

    Learn what to ask your insurance company about insurance coverage for mental health services (PDF) (Russian) (Simplified Chinese) (Somali) (Spanish) (Vietnamese).

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  • I called my insurance plan, and Seattle Children’s is an in-network provider for mental health services. What’s next?

    Learn more about Seattle Children’s mental health services:

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