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Residential Depression Treatment Financial Assistance

Depression affects approximately 14.8 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Not all depression requires residential treatment, however, depression that impairs someone's life typically does. This treatment can be quite expensive and consequently, some financial assistance is available.

  1. What is Depression?

    • Depression affects your body, mood, thoughts and is not just a passing feeling of sadness, according to Psychology Information Online. For many, depression is a serious medical condition; consequently, these individuals may require residential treatment.

    Who Requires Residential Treatment?

    • To determine whether or not depression is severe enough to require inpatient treatment, which offers individualized and group therapies, medications and many other treatments in a live-in facility, guidelines of need typically include those who are unable to care for themselves or suicidal.

    Cost

    • Residential care for depression is very costly, the National Institute of Mental Health reports that in one year, elderly depressed people were billed $22,960, those without depression were billed half that amount.

    Medicare

    • If you are elderly or disabled, Medicare has recently begun paying for psychiatrists and psychologists and also prescribes lower cost or generic medications. Prescribing less expensive medications allows for the patient to be able to afford his prescriptions.

    Help from Hospitals

    • Not all, but many hospitals allot money for offering mental health services for depression. As there is no set list of participating hospitals, contact local ones and inquire about this form of assistance.

    Medicaid

    • Medicaid pays for those who are low income and qualify under strict guidelines. If approved, Medicaid will pay for residential treatment for depression as well as medications afterward.

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