After seven years of unsuccessful treatments, Rachel Levasseur, 24, found a program that addressed her complex mental health needs—only to face a devastating financial barrier. Levasseur has a severe form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that creates a persistent belief she is a harm to others, compounded by autism spectrum disorder. During seven years of treatment attempts, she attempted suicide numerous times.
Last year, Levasseur’s parents enrolled her in The Retreat, a self-pay residential program at Sheppard Pratt psychiatric hospital in Maryland, after conventional treatments failed. Within a year, her improvement was marked: she had not attempted suicide, became increasingly social, and was willing to attend dinners and concerts. Her parents said her written treatment plan noted “it is possible she is finally in the appropriate setting she needs to be able to make sustainable progress.”
Insurance Coverage Falls Short
However, Levasseur’s insurance provider, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, paid only a small portion of her $3,000-per-day treatment. When her parents could no longer afford the costs—despite taking out a second mortgage and draining her father’s retirement savings—the family’s stay was cut short in March. Levasseur’s parents report owing the hospital approximately $1.3 million, though NBC News could not independently verify this figure.
CareFirst initially paid $521 of the $3,300 daily cost. When the Levasseurs asked the company to reconsider and appealed through Maryland’s Insurance Administration and Employee Benefits Division, they were told they had exhausted their options. However, Sheppard Pratt’s vice president later told the family the hospital “would be willing to enter into a single case agreement to address the current outstanding balance.”
The Broader Problem
More than one-third of psychologists surveyed by the American Psychological Association last year said they don’t accept insurance, citing insufficient reimbursement and denied coverage for necessary services. The Levasseurs’ case illustrates how difficult it is to find exceptional mental health providers covered by insurance, let alone ones equipped to handle complex cases.
Levasseur’s previous treatment had not adequately addressed her autism diagnosis. She received radically open dialectical behavior therapy at The Retreat—a different approach than standard treatments like dialectical behavior therapy—which focuses on suppressed emotions and black-and-white thinking patterns. She says that at The Retreat, “it was different, because no one was giving up on me.”
The Levasseurs believe the specialized program could ultimately save money for their insurance company. As Levasseur noted, “If they would just cover The Retreat for a time period enough for me to get better, then it would actually probably end up costing less, because then I could stop being in treatment.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/years-failed-treatments-psych-program-finally-worked-now-family-owes-1-rcna348163