Will using medical insurance for mental health appointments/treatments affect one's future career?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would self pay and not use insurance for meds. The pharmacy has coupons for uninsured people who cash pay.

Sure if you’re made of money. Have you tried those coupons? Meds are still several hundred $$ a month.

Just use insurance

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for the replies. DS does not want to do military or pilot. We are thinking about professional jobs such as physicians, lawyers, government professional jobs. Those jobs do not require you disclose mental health history?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all for the replies. DS does not want to do military or pilot. We are thinking about professional jobs such as physicians, lawyers, government professional jobs. Those jobs do not require you disclose mental health history?

No.

Have you been asked your mental health history for any of your jobs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all for the replies. DS does not want to do military or pilot. We are thinking about professional jobs such as physicians, lawyers, government professional jobs. Those jobs do not require you disclose mental health history?

No.

Have you been asked your mental health history for any of your jobs?

A relative who is a laywer said he might have been asked on his bar application, but he is not 100% sure because that was years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all for the replies. DS does not want to do military or pilot. We are thinking about professional jobs such as physicians, lawyers, government professional jobs. Those jobs do not require you disclose mental health history?

No.

Have you been asked your mental health history for any of your jobs?

A relative who is a laywer said he might have been asked on his bar application, but he is not 100% sure because that was years ago.

Some states do and some states don’t. It depends. The key is are you taking care of it. Or you can pick a state that doesn’t include those types of fitness and character questions. But don’t hide it, be afraid of it, or not seek treatment.

Law firms don’t ask.

[Anonymous]

Don’t do this. My mom had gave me this advice in the late 90s. This is so dated and a waste of money, especially considering what people pay for health insurance these days!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HIPAA regulations prevent disclosure. Right?

No.

[Anonymous]

Any time you give a provider your name and date of birth, they will enter your medical information.

Any provider can access your medical history with your name and date of birth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a college student and has diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. He has been seeing a psychologist who does not accept insurance. So, no insurance has been involved so far. The psychologist recommended DS to see a psychiatrist to get medication. My understanding is if you use insurance to see a psychiatrist, there will be a record.

Will this record affect DS' future career (or anything else)? If so, in what way?

Or should we stay with self-pay so that no record with insurance? TIA.

Psychiatric drugs should be his last resort. This stays in your medical history forever, so first try other options.

[Anonymous]

I have been self-pay to my psychiatrist for years for this reason after I reached an executive level at a job and learned in some meetings where we discussed insurance benefits and costs that what you charge to insurance isn't totally private. I don't self-pay for my medication though.

I recognize that I am being unreasonably cautious, or even paranoid, and that over the years is has cost me thousands, but it is what I've done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would self pay and not use insurance for meds. The pharmacy has coupons for uninsured people who cash pay.

Not using your insurance and "uninsured" are two different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all for the replies. DS does not want to do military or pilot. We are thinking about professional jobs such as physicians, lawyers, government professional jobs. Those jobs do not require you disclose mental health history?

DOJ attorney with a mental illness here. I had to disclose my mental health history when I got my DOJ job, and they needed to interview my psychiatrist (or maybe he just had to sign a form that said I was competent to perform my duties -- I can't remember). But it was fine. I also had to disclose it in my character/fitness paperwork for the bar, and again it was fine. I think my doctor had to sign something for that, as well. Lying about it would absolutely not be fine and would probably result in someone being found unfit for the job or for a license to practice. Having the mental illness but not having treatment would probably not have been fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all for the replies. DS does not want to do military or pilot. We are thinking about professional jobs such as physicians, lawyers, government professional jobs. Those jobs do not require you disclose mental health history?

Maybe it was a typo but the "WE are thinking about..." sentence caught my eye. I get anxious just imagining you hovering over your (adult) college aged son and trying to make life decisions for him. College is a time to cut those strings and let him figure out on his own what career he wants. It might not look like a dr or lawyer, but it is his choice. And young adulthood is also a time for him to learn how to care for himself, and that includes his mental health, without you hovering and planting anxious what ifs about future issues.

His generation is radically more open and accepting of mental health issues than the world was during my 20s. I hope they keep being that way as they enter the workplace because it will benefit us all.

And if im projecting and just imagining your helicoptering, my apologies. Meds can be life changers and if his doctors recommend it, he should try them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a college student and has diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. He has been seeing a psychologist who does not accept insurance. So, no insurance has been involved so far. The psychologist recommended DS to see a psychiatrist to get medication. My understanding is if you use insurance to see a psychiatrist, there will be a record.

Will this record affect DS' future career (or anything else)? If so, in what way?

Or should we stay with self-pay so that no record with insurance? TIA.

Psychiatric drugs should be his last resort. This stays in your medical history forever, so first try other options.

Eff offf!!!! Hope you tell diabetics the same you POS.

[Anonymous]

No, BUT it will impact his ability to get life insurance on the private market (group insurance through an employer is OK). Which isn’t a huge deal now, because he has no income, but if he has a family in ten years and wants to get a policy, he might have issues.

I recommend buying a term policy (for the longest term you can get) now, before any medical/pharmaceutical records are established. The premiums should be dirt cheap at this age.