Health care–especially mental health care–can be expensive to individuals and the system. In turn, it is often quite lucrative to the pharmaceutical industry. Costs of drug, talk and other therapies differ considerably depending on type, insurance coverage and other factors. Explore this section for typical out-of-pocket costs and insurance coverage for medications, both brand-name and generic, and psychotherapy, as well as an audio discussion of the history and ethics of selling antidepressants.
What do the experts say?
Listen to a health psychologist, a clinical psychologist, a psychiatrist and a family doctor discuss the insurance concerns they and their patients face when treating depression. <<Watch the video>>
Out-of-pocket cost of therapy
The cost of antidepressants varies significantly among brands, generics and pharmacies, and psychotherapy varies by therapist. <<Read more>>
Insurance coverage
Antidepressants are prescription medications that are covered by insurance in the same way and at the same rate as other prescription drugs. However, other treatments for depression–such as psychotherapy, other behavioral therapy and alternative treatments–are not always covered as fully as biomedical services. <<Read more>>
The cost to the system
Antidepressants make up the largest expenditure for medications of any category. <<Read more>>
Selling a Drug: History and ethics
Carl Elliot, M.D., professor in the Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota discusses. <<Listen to the interview>>
