NEW HAVEN, Conn. (InvestigateTV) — More than one-third of practicing psychologists do not accept insurance, creating barriers for patients seeking affordable mental health care.
According to a 2024 American Psychological Association survey, many psychologists report spending nights and weekends trying to get reimbursed by insurance companies, while others say they have lost tens of thousands of dollars.
Holly Hackett from Branford, Connecticut, made 15 calls in two weeks trying to find a therapist who would accept her Medicare and had availability but wasn’t able to find one.
Griffin Gordon, a licensed marriage and family therapist associate in New Haven, said the search process discourages many people seeking care.
“I would not have been able to afford therapy without insurance,” Gordon said. “I think it is such a core component of accessibility to mental healthcare because most people cannot afford to pay the rates for therapy.”
Insurance challenges drive therapists away
Gordon said he understands why many therapists choose private pay over insurance.
“Usually, you’re going to be getting more money per session for private pay, and you don’t have to submit claims,” Gordon said.
Complaints about behavioral health claims to Connecticut’s Department of Insurance nearly tripled from 81 complaints in 2022 to 233 complaints in 2023. There were 225 complaints in 2024.
And one provider in Glastonbury complained that her claim from Aetna kept being rejected. She wrote that she “spent countless hours being redirected by them on the phone.”
Aetna responded to the state, said it was a “system error,” apologized for the inconvenience and paid the claim.
Low reimbursement rates compound problems
A 2023 report funded by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families found that insurance reimbursement rates for mental health claims “do not cover the true costs of delivering high-quality services, have not kept pace with inflation, do not reflect staff education and skill level, and are restricting the ability to offer compensation that attracts and retains qualified staff to the field.”
Gordon said experienced therapists are choosing not to take insurance, leaving patients mostly with newer providers.
AHIP, the advocacy group representing health insurance companies, conducted a study in 2022 that found 89% of health plans are actively recruiting mental health care providers.
An AHIP spokesperson said in a statement that health plans “have reported significant, year-over-year growth in the number of in-network mental and behavioral health specialists, telehealth and care navigation services.”
Gordon encourages patients to persist in their search.
“My main advice would be is to not give up, right?” Gordon said. “Because there are clinicians out there who do take insurance, who have availability, they just may be harder to find than you might want it to be.”
The Connecticut Legislature voted in 2023 to create the Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate, due in part to the increase in complaints.
It is still in its formative stages, and the goal for the office is to advocate for and assist providers with insurance claims.
See the full story by Cassidy Williams here.
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Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.