AMA: Using insurance for OCD therapy

Our team is here for you. We know that OCD can be a sensitive and personal matter, and we take your privacy very seriously at NOCD. We’re fully compliant with HIPAA standards to ensure your information is secure. If you wish to use your insurance as a dependent, please be aware that most insurance companies will likely send an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to the subscriber's address on file. This document would include details about the services you received at NOCD. If this raises privacy concerns, I would recommend calling your insurance provider to see if they can send the EOB directly to you.

We are constantly working to gain new insurance partnerships, as we believe everyone should have access to specialized OCD treatment. However, establishing these partnerships can be a complex process, since many insurance companies have only recently begun to recognize the need for specialized OCD treatment. This is why we’re committed to advocating for the OCD community’s needs and sharing the importance of evidence-based care with insurance providers. Our efforts have led to significant progress, making it possible for more than 130 million people with commercial insurance access to OCD-specialty therapy covered by insurance. Please also continue to check our website periodically for updates on new in-network health plans.

Currently, NOCD is not in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska. However, if you travel out of state for an extended period of time or temporarily live in a state where we are in-network with the local BCBS plan, you may still be able to access NOCD’s services using your Nebraska BCBS plan. For example, if you were to move or go to North Carolina, we would be able to bill BCBS of NC with your BCBS of NE plan. Expanding our partnerships with insurers is a priority, and we’re continually working to increase in-network options. We encourage you to check our website regularly for updates on new in-network health plans.

I’m sorry the process has been so frustrating! Yes, OCD is a complex and widely misunderstood condition, so it’s important to find an OCD specialty-therapist who was specifically trained to treat OCD using evidence-based treatment, as they can understand what you’re going through and will know how to help you get better.You're not alone in being frustrated—many people in our community and on our team have faced similar issues since as recently as five years ago, especially when very few OCD-specialty therapists accepted insurance at all. The reason it was hard to find an in-network therapist is because it’s so common for OCD to be misdiagnosed, and so many health insurance companies misattribute costs caused by untreated OCD to other conditions. In fact, a staggering 96% of people with OCD don’t surface in claims data due to high rates of misdiagnosis and mistreatment. This can lead insurance companies to think OCD is rare, even though it impacts around 1 in 40 people in the US alone. It can also lead to improper treatment that doesn’t truly address the underlying cause of people’s suffering, making it nearly impossible for them to get better. To help solve this major and unacceptable problem, NOCD is dedicated to partnering with insurance providers to make ERP therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD, more accessible. We’re proud to now be in-network for over 2 in 3 Americans with commercial insurance, and we're committed to increasing this coverage by highlighting the urgent need for specialized care. We’re working hard on new partnerships all the time. Please continue to check our website periodically for updates on new in-network health plans. If you are interested in utilizing your insurance for OCD-specialty therapy, you can talk to your insurance provider about any out-of-network benefits or ask if they’d make an in-network exception given the shortage of OCD-specialty therapists. If they allow either of these, you have the option to pay cash directly to your out-of-network provider, ask for a superbill once your session is paid in full, and submit this to your insurance for potential reimbursement.

If you are a U.S. citizen or national, or if you are lawfully present in the U.S., you can visit healthcare.gov to enroll in health insurance.

While we do not currently have any Medicare-enrolled NOCD Therapists, please know that we are actively working to become enrolled with Medicare in the near future. If you’d like to learn if your supplemental plan is accepted, please schedule a free call with our team at nocd.com—they can provide the latest information.

At this time, we do not offer occupational therapy (OT) or organizational therapy through NOCD. However, it could be supported by insurance with the necessary documentation by your therapist. The personalized treatment plans that NOCD Therapists create for each Member can be tailored to address how OCD is affecting you in the workplace. Insurance coverage for your treatment will depend on your employer and the specific insurance plan they provide.

OCD can definitely feel real, but one of our specialty-trained therapists is best equipped to help you. To learn more about working with someone who understands OCD—including the most hard-to-talk-about symptoms—in a safe, non-judgmental space, please schedule a free call with our team at nocd.com. They can match you with the right OCD-specialty therapist at NOCD for you who can help address your specific needs.

We’re committed to advocating for the OCD community’s needs and sharing the importance of evidence-based care with insurance providers. Our efforts have led to significant progress, making it possible for more than 130 million people with commercial insurance access to OCD-specialty therapy covered by insurance. While we do not take any Medicaid plans at this time, please know that expanding access is a top priority for us and we hope to open our doors to Medicaid members in the future. We are actively working to become enrolled with Medicare in the near future.

Expanding our partnerships with state Medicaid programs like MassHealth is a priority for us! But it can be a complex process, as each state has unique requirements and criteria for provider enrollment. That said, we’re working hard to bring NOCD’s services to more people through programs like MassHealth because we know how essential it is to make specialized OCD care accessible for everyone who needs it, and we appreciate your patience as we continue these efforts. We encourage you to check our website regularly for updates on new in-network health plans.

Sorry for the confusion, the event was moved to today!

We are constantly working to gain new insurance partnerships, as we believe everyone should have access to specialized OCD treatment. However, establishing these partnerships can be a complex process, since many insurance companies have only recently begun to recognize the need for specialized OCD treatment. This is why we’re committed to advocating for the OCD community’s needs and sharing the importance of evidence-based care with insurance providers. Our efforts have led to significant progress, making it possible for more than 130 million people with commercial insurance access to OCD-specialty therapy covered by insurance. Expanding our partnerships with insurers is a priority, and we’re continually working to increase in-network options. We encourage you to check our website regularly for updates on new in-network health plans.

I'll be posting responses right here in the app!