FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The deadline to enroll in the Emotional Support Program was May 31, 2008. If you called or opened a case online prior to the deadline, please call the benefit coordination staff at 1-866-762-0756 to find out the status of your enrollment.

For those who contacted us after to May 31, 2008, the deadline has passed. Please contact 211 for information on mental health and substance abuse services available in your community.

Please note that the information below applies only to current enrollees of the Emotional Support Program.

The American Red Cross Emotional Support Program for Survivors of the 2005 Hurricanes helps you to cover the cost of mental health treatment, including; outpatient individual, family, couples and group counseling; auricular acupuncture, psychotropic medications and testing and evaluation for children through age 21. Assistance is available retroactively for services received since August 30, 2005. If you have insurance that covers mental health treatment costs, you can make the most of your benefit by using the Emotional Support Program as secondary coverage, to pay for your co-pays and deductible.

The Emotional Support Program covers out-of-pocket costs for emotional support services such as medications, counseling (individual, group and family sessions), evaluation and testing for children under the age of 21, outpatient substance abuse treatment and ear acupuncture (for substance abuse treatment and relief of stress and anxiety). Covered services are retroactive to August 30, 2005. The program is a one-time benefit that covers a maximum amount per person and cannot be extended once the assistance has been fully utilized.

The program provides assistance with medications prescribed by a licensed professional for treatment of your Hurricane related mental health or substance abuse issues. We maintain a list of program-approved medications that includes virtually every FDA-approved psychiatric medication currently on the market. Medications imported from overseas can not be covered.

Please note that we need pharmacy receipts to process your claims for medications reimbursement. The benefit cannot pay pharmacies directly; eligible clients must pay for approved medications up front and submit claims with receipts to Qualcare, the third party claims administrator for the Emotional Support Program.

Services must be provided by a licensed private practitioner or by an employee of a licensed mental health or substance abuse facility. Please verify with your provider that his/her license is recognized in the state where you are receiving services.

We want your feedback so that we can make this program as easy and helpful as possible. Please contact us at 1-866-762-0756 or email: support@mhaofnyc.org and we will return your call or email within one business day.

Yes. Your eligibility is based on how you were affected by the disaster, not where you live now.

No. Immigration status is not considered in determining eligibility.

Yes. Because this program is funded by charitable donations, it is possible that the available funds will be exhausted before the anticipated enrollment end date. In that event, individuals currently enrolled in the program will continue to have full use of their benefit coverage until stated deadlines.

Once you are enrolled in the program, you will receive a package providing you with detailed information about submitting claims.

Several factors will determine how your claims should be submitted:

• Whether you are insured or uninsured;
• If you are insured, the extent of your coverage for mental health and substance abuse; and,
• Billing arrangements you have made with your provider.

Please speak with your benefit coordinator about how to submit claims for services received prior to your enrollment in the program. If you do not remember the name of your benefit coordinator, please call (866) 762-0756.

Once you are enrolled in the program, you will receive detailed information on how to submit bills or receipts for reimbursement. Payments can be made either directly to you or to your mental health provider.

We do not grant extensions or exceptions to the program benefit limit. Please call your benefit coordinator, at 1-866-762-0756, who can help you identify other related programs that may be of assistance. Please call or visit our Resources page.

No problem. We encourage you to call and enroll soon, so that you can take full advantage of the assistance available to you prior to the deadline. Please remember, because this program is funded by charitable donations, it is possible that the available funds will be exhausted before the anticipated enrollment end date.

Again, if you have health insurance, and it covers mental health treatment costs, you can make the most out of your benefit by using the Emotional Support Program as secondary coverage to paying for your co-pays and your deductible. Keep in mind that the benefit is meant to reimburse you only for claims denied or partially covered by your insurance. You can not submit to the Emotional Support Program if you have already received reimbursement in full from your insurance.

How the benefit is used will vary from person to person, depending on what type of treatment you use, how expensive your counseling sessions are etc. You should discuss with our benefit staff, the best way to utilize this program for your particular situation.