See a therapist for a lot less

(Money Magazine) -- Anyone who's ever sought mental-health treatment knows how quickly the bills for such care can add up, even with insurance. Just what the doctor didn't order: money anxiety on top of whatever else you're facing.

But there may be relief in store. If you're insured through a company with more than 50 workers that provides mental-health and substance-abuse benefits, you'll probably pay far less for care in 2010.

The Mental Health Parity Act, effective at most firms as of Jan. 1, requires that co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums on employer-sponsored behavioral coverage be the same as those for general medicine. (Typically coverage had been more limited -- for example, 50% for behavioral vs. 80% for medical.)

That should make care cheaper, though it still may not be cheap. So make the most of your benefits with these strategies.

See if free is an option

If you're going through a tough time, start by asking your HR department whether your company offers an employee-assistance program. Such plans may provide up to eight sessions of psychological counseling free and can be useful if, say, you're grieving after a death in the family.

Start with the network

For ongoing care, use in-network providers when possible, since you'll pay less. Find a list on the insurer's website. Unfortunately, many plans' behavioral networks are small, and a lot of patients end up out of network, says Andrew Sperling of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

In the past, that often meant paying full fare, but the new law requires that plans providing out-of-network coverage for medical services must do the same for mental health. So if you can't find someone in network, at least you may get partial coverage.

Check in with the insurer

Thanks to the new law, insurers can no longer place arbitrary limits -- like 20 therapist visits, max -- on behavioral services unless general medical care is also restricted.

That's a big deal, since such limits made it easy to exhaust coverage. But an insurer can still restrict care based on its definition of "medical necessity," says Kirsten Beronio of advocacy group Mental Health America. So before starting treatment, call your carrier to confirm that the type and frequency of care will be covered.

Appeal effectively

If your insurer denies coverage for something, you can now request its standards for medical necessity and the reason for the denial. "We're hoping this information will help more people appeal successfully," says Beronio. For best results, she says, include a note from your doctor stating why the treatment is needed (referencing the insurer's criteria) and how your health could deteriorate if you don't receive it.