There are three possible privacy concerns associated with using insurance for your therapy session.
The insurance company
Insurance companies require Therapists to justify the bill by providing symptoms and a diagnosis. They often want more information to determine the extent of your mental health.
Your medical record
Therapists must have a digital record of your visit. Vickie keeps this record in a hippa approved database, and she is the only one with access to that record. Due to strengent insurance requirements, when therapists bill insurance they are give their patient a mental health diagnosis. If you are given a mental health diagnosis, the diagnosis becomes a part of your permanent record.
Anyone they disclose it to, directly or indirectly
The charge is logged in your explanation of benefits EOB which is mailed to the primary owner of your insurance policy. Billing details can reach your employer, revealing a covered diagnosis and potentially pointing back to you. Every paper trail is another opportunity for someone to use your information against you at the worst possible time of your life. Insurance companies also audit the details of your medical chart, and sometimes even take ownership of your records, which includes records from your therapist. You give them permission when you sign permission for billing. They do have a responsibility to follow Hippa guidelines, but even with these guidelines in place, your data will live inside their database, inside the communcations with your family and your employer, and whoever happens to hack into their system.
