Leaving a residential mental health program is rarely a jump straight from 24-hour care back to an ordinary week. For most people it is a step down: a move into a partial hospitalization program (PHP), then an intensive outpatient program (IOP), then regular outpatient therapy. Each level keeps some of the structure of residential care and hands back a little more of daily life. This post explains how those levels compare in weekly hours, how the timing of a step-down is usually decided, and what to ask before the move happens.

The Three Step-Down Levels, by the Hours

As of October 12, 2026, Bodhi Mental Health’s outpatient care page lists the typical schedules for the levels of care below residential this way: a partial hospitalization program usually runs five days a week for approximately 25 to 30 program hours, an intensive outpatient program usually runs three days a week for about three hours a day, or roughly 9 hours a week, and basic outpatient care averages about 2 hours a week. In practice, that means a person stepping down from residential treatment typically goes from round-the-clock support to roughly a full-time week of treatment, then to about a third of that, then to a single weekly appointment or two. Exact hours vary by program and by insurance plan, so the schedule in your written discharge plan is the one that counts.

Those numbers matter because they shape what else fits in a week. Someone in PHP generally cannot also hold a full-time job. Someone in a typical IOP often can keep part-time work or return to school with careful planning. Someone in basic outpatient care is usually back to a full routine, with therapy and medication follow-up layered on top.

What the First Week After Residential Actually Feels Like

People often expect the step-down to feel like relief, and in some ways it does. Sleeping in your own bed, choosing your own meals and seeing a partner or pet again can feel enormous. But families frequently describe the first week as harder than expected, and that is normal rather than a warning sign on its own.

In residential care, the day is scheduled from morning check-in to lights out. Medication is handed out at set times. Someone is always nearby. In PHP, the program day still has structure, but evenings, nights and weekends are suddenly unscheduled. That open time is often where old patterns show up first: lying awake, skipping meals, scrolling late into the night, or avoiding phone calls. Family members tend to notice small things, like a loved one who seemed steady on visiting day now seeming tired or irritable at home. Naming this in advance, and building an evening plan before discharge, takes some of the surprise out of it.

How the Timing of a Step-Down Is Usually Decided

There is no fixed number of residential days that applies to everyone. The decision to step down is usually made by the treatment team in conversation with the person in care, and often with input from the insurance plan. A few factors tend to drive it:

• Symptom stability: the team looks for a stretch of days where mood, sleep and safety have held steady without needing round-the-clock support.
• Medication response: if a medication was started or changed, the team usually wants enough time to see how it is being tolerated before reducing supervision.
• Safety planning: a written safety plan, with warning signs and named contacts, is typically completed before a lower level of care begins.
• Home environment: whether the person is returning to a stable, supportive place to sleep, or needs transitional or sober-living style housing during PHP or IOP.
• Insurance review: many plans review residential stays at regular intervals, and a plan may approve a lower level of care before the team or family feels fully ready. That is a common, frustrating reality, and it is one reason to ask about the step-down plan early in the stay rather than at the end.

The National Institute of Mental Health notes that treatment for mental health conditions is often a combination of approaches over time, and that what works best can change as recovery progresses. A step-down is one way that change is built into care rather than left to chance.

PHP, IOP or Straight to Outpatient?

Not everyone moves through all three levels. Some people go from residential treatment directly into IOP because they have a strong home setup and steady symptoms. Others spend several weeks in PHP before IOP is even considered. A few return briefly to a higher level if symptoms flare, and that is a normal part of care, not a failure.

Virtual IOP has also become a common option. It can make the schedule more workable for people who live far from a program or who are returning to work, though it asks more of the person in terms of privacy at home and self-directed structure. Ask whether the program offers in-person, virtual or hybrid options, and whether your plan covers each one the same way.

Five Questions to Ask Before the Step-Down Date

You can ask these at the next treatment team meeting, family session or discharge planning call. Write the answers down.

1. What level of care comes next, and what is the weekly schedule? Ask for days, start and end times, and total hours per week in writing.
2. Is the first appointment already booked? A step-down plan without a confirmed first date and time leaves a gap. Ask for the date before you leave.
3. Who prescribes medication after discharge? Confirm who refills prescriptions and when the first psychiatric follow-up is scheduled.
4. Has insurance approved the next level of care? Ask whether authorization is already in place or still pending, and who to call if it is denied.
5. What should we do if symptoms get worse between appointments? Ask for the after-hours number, the warning signs the team wants reported and the written safety plan.

If you are still in the early stages and want to understand how your plan handles each level of care, our team can help you check your insurance benefits or talk it through by phone at 877-883-0780.

What Families Can Do During the Transition

Family members often ask how involved they should be once their loved one is home. A few practical steps tend to help:

• Ask the person in care what support they want, rather than assuming. Some people want rides to PHP; others want to drive themselves as a sign of independence.
• Agree on a simple evening and weekend routine for the first two weeks, including regular meals and a set bedtime.
• Keep a copy of the safety plan and the after-hours number somewhere easy to find.
• Notice changes without turning every conversation into a check-in. Small, steady contact usually lands better than constant questions.
• Look after your own support, too. The SAMHSA National Helpline offers free, confidential referral information for individuals and families, 24 hours a day.

If Things Feel Unsafe

The weeks right after leaving a higher level of care can be a vulnerable time. If you or someone you love is having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Residential and outpatient programs are not emergency services, and a crisis should never wait for the next scheduled appointment.

Talking Through the Next Step

A step-down is not the end of treatment. It is the part of treatment where skills learned in a structured setting get tested in real life, with support still in place. Knowing the hours, the timing and the questions ahead of time makes that transition steadier for everyone involved. If you would like help understanding which level of care fits right now, or what comes after residential treatment, call 877-883-0780 to speak with the Bodhi team.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Program schedules, lengths of stay and insurance coverage vary. Always talk with a qualified health care provider about your specific situation. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911.

When a family starts looking at residential care for someone with bipolar disorder, the first questions are usually practical. Will the program confirm the diagnosis or take the old one at face value? How quickly will things settle? What records should be gathered before the first call? This guide walks through how a bipolar assessment generally runs in a residential setting, how stabilization is paced, and what to ask before admission.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day. A residential program is not an emergency service and cannot replace crisis care.

How Bipolar Disorder Is Defined: The Timeframes Clinicians Work From

Under the criteria summarized by the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar I disorder is defined by manic episodes that last at least 7 days, most of the day and nearly every day, or by manic symptoms severe enough that hospital care is needed, and depressive episodes in bipolar disorder typically last at least 2 weeks. Four or more episodes of mania or depression within one year is called rapid cycling. Because the diagnosis depends on these timeframes, a residential team confirming bipolar disorder asks about the timeline of past mood episodes, not only how the person feels on the day of admission.

Bipolar II disorder follows a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, which are less severe than the manic episodes of bipolar I. Because hypomania is milder, it is easy to overlook, which is one reason the history matters so much. You can read the full overview in NIMH’s bipolar disorder publication.

Why the Diagnosis Gets Reviewed at Admission

Many people arrive at residential care with a diagnosis that has shifted over the years, sometimes several times. A careful program does not simply copy the diagnosis from the referral paperwork. It reviews it, because several things commonly blur the picture:

• Depression shows up first: A person may seek care only during low periods, so earlier elevated periods never reach a clinician’s notes.
• Psychotic symptoms point elsewhere: NIMH notes that people with bipolar disorder who also have psychotic symptoms can be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia when only current symptoms are considered.
• Medical look-alikes: Some health conditions, such as thyroid disease, can cause symptoms that resemble bipolar disorder, which is why lab work is part of the workup.
• Substance and medication effects: Prescribed, recreational or illicit drugs can mimic or worsen mood symptoms, so a full substance and medication history is part of the review.
• Antidepressant-only treatment history: NIMH notes that antidepressants are not used alone in bipolar disorder because they can trigger mania or rapid cycling, so a team will want to know what was prescribed during past episodes and what happened afterward.

What the First Days of Assessment Usually Involve

Programs differ, but the assessment for someone with known or suspected bipolar disorder generally covers the same ground. Expect a psychiatric evaluation focused on the course of mood episodes over months and years. Expect detailed questions about sleep, because a decreased need for sleep and changes in sleep patterns are among the symptoms NIMH lists for mood episodes. Expect a medical review that may include lab work ordered by the medical team. Expect a medication reconciliation that lists every current and past psychiatric medication, the dates, and how each one worked.

Families often notice that the first few days feel slower than they expected. That is usually deliberate. Staff are watching sleep, appetite, energy and mood across different times of day before anyone changes much. For someone who arrives right after a difficult episode, those first days can feel strange: quieter, more structured and more observed than home. Most people find that the structure itself becomes steadying once the routine is familiar.

How Stabilization Is Paced

Stabilization in bipolar disorder is not a single event. It is a gradual process of getting sleep and daily rhythm back on track, adjusting medication under psychiatric supervision, and building skills for recognizing early warning signs. NIMH notes that mental health professionals treat bipolar disorder with medications, psychotherapy or a combination, and that it usually requires lifelong treatment, with long-term, ongoing care helping people manage symptoms.

Medication decisions are made by the prescribing psychiatrist and depend on the individual’s history, other health conditions and how they respond. Changes are usually made one step at a time so the team can see what is helping. Therapy in residential care commonly includes individual sessions, group work focused on routine and early warning signs, and family sessions where appropriate. Psychoeducation for both the person and their family is a large part of the work, because people who understand their own patterns are better placed to act early next time.

A residential stay is a starting point, not the whole treatment. Discharge planning usually begins early and lines up a step down to a lower level of care, such as partial hospitalization, outpatient treatment or ongoing psychiatry and therapy.

When Residential Care Is Not the Right First Step

Here is an inconvenient operational truth: a residential program is not a hospital. Someone in an acute manic episode who has not slept for days, is experiencing psychosis that makes them unsafe, or is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others typically needs hospital-level care first. NIMH’s own definition of bipolar I includes mania severe enough that hospital care is needed. In that situation the usual path is emergency or inpatient care, then a referral to residential treatment once the person is medically and psychiatrically stable enough for a less restrictive setting. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911 first.

What to Do Before the First Call: Build an Episode Timeline

The single most useful thing a person or family can bring to a bipolar assessment is a written episode timeline. You can start it today with a notebook or a simple document:

1. List every period you can remember of elevated or irritable mood, more energy, or less need for sleep, with approximate dates and how long it lasted. Note whether it lasted 7 days or more.
2. List every period of depression, with approximate dates and how long it lasted. Note whether it lasted 2 weeks or more.
3. Count how many separate episodes happened in the last 12 months.
4. Mark any hospitalizations, emergency visits or crisis contacts, and request the discharge summary from each one.
5. Next to each episode, write which psychiatric medications were being taken at the time, if you know.

Even a rough version saves time. It gives the admitting team the information the diagnosis actually depends on, and it often surfaces patterns the person has never seen laid out in one place.

Questions to Ask Before Admission

• Will a psychiatrist review the existing diagnosis, and how soon after arrival?
• How often will I or my family member meet with the psychiatrist during the stay?
• What lab work and medical review happen in the first week?
• How does the program handle sleep problems in the first few nights?
• Can family members join a session to learn about early warning signs?
• What is the plan for stepping down to a lower level of care, and when does that planning start?

Insurance and Coverage: Check This Before You Call

Coverage is often the deciding factor in where someone can go. As of October 12, 2026, Bodhi’s own coverage pages state that Bodhi does not take Medi-Cal, Medicare, Medicaid, Ambetter or IEHP. Bodhi is a treatment consulting and referral service that places people into a vetted network of partner programs, including residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and virtual care. If you have PPO, HMO, government employee, federal employee or union coverage, or can pay privately, you can verify your insurance online or call 877-883-0780 to talk through options. If your coverage is Medi-Cal, your county mental health plan is usually the right starting point, and SAMHSA’s resources can help you locate services.

To learn what a stay looks like in practice, read about our residential mental health treatment options across several states, including programs near Aptos and San Jose. When you are ready to ask questions about bipolar disorder care for yourself or someone you love, call 877-883-0780.

Crisis Resources

If you or someone you love is thinking about suicide or is in emotional distress, call or text 988 or chat through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SAMHSA describes 988 as offering free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including access for Spanish speakers and people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Learn more at SAMHSA’s 988 page. For immediate danger, call 911.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Decisions about diagnosis, medication and level of care should be made with a qualified health care provider who knows your history. Bodhi is not an emergency service.

The first call a family makes to a residential program after admission often goes the same way. A parent or spouse asks how their person is doing, and the staff member answers carefully: they cannot confirm or deny whether that person is a patient. For many families, this is the most frustrating moment of the first week. It is not a brush-off. It is how confidentiality works for adults in mental health care, and there is a clear, procedural way through it.

This guide explains how a release of information works in residential mental health treatment, what staff can and cannot say without one, how phone and visiting time are usually structured, and what to ask on the first call. If you have questions about how release forms and family contact work for a specific program, you can call 877-883-0780.

The Short Answer: A Signed Release Decides Who Hears What

In residential mental health treatment for adults, a family member receives updates from the clinical team only after the person in treatment signs a release of information, often called an ROI, that names that family member. The release states who may receive information, what kind of information may be shared and when the permission ends, and the person in treatment can generally revoke it in writing. Without a signed release, staff at most programs will not confirm that someone is admitted, even to a parent or spouse. Families can still call, share information with the team and leave a message for staff to pass along.

Federal privacy rules under HIPAA do give providers some room to talk with family members in certain situations, for example when the patient agrees or does not object, or in an emergency. In practice, residential programs generally rely on a signed written release because it removes guesswork and protects everyone. State law also plays a role, and California has its own confidentiality rules for mental health information, so the exact process can differ from one program to the next.

Why the Release Often Is Not Signed on Day One

Families are often surprised that a release is not automatically in place after admission. Several things are usually going on at once:

• Admission paperwork is heavy: The first day includes consent forms, a clinical assessment, insurance documentation and a medical review, and the release may simply be one more form waiting its turn.
• The person is choosing who to include: Adults decide who receives information, and some want time to think about whether to include a parent, a partner, an adult child or an employer.
• Scope is a real decision: A person may be comfortable with staff confirming attendance and general progress but not with sharing what comes up in individual therapy.
• Symptoms shape the first few days: Someone arriving with severe depression, panic or the aftermath of a trauma may be exhausted or overwhelmed, which can slow every decision, including this one.

None of these mean the person is shutting the family out. Often the release is signed once the person has settled in and understands what it covers.

What Families Typically Notice in the First Week

Families tend to describe a recognizable pattern. The first call or two can feel short and flat, because their person is tired, adjusting to a new schedule and sharing a phone window with other residents. Some people call home more than expected in the first days and then less as groups and therapy fill their schedule. Others are quiet at first and reach out once they feel steadier. Both are common, and a drop in calls during the first week is not, by itself, a sign that something is wrong.

Phone access, visiting and personal devices are set by each program’s own policy. Many residential programs limit phone use to set times so it does not interrupt therapy, and some hold personal phones during the first days of a stay. Visiting is often scheduled on particular days and may begin after an initial settling-in period. Ask for the current policy in writing rather than relying on what a different program did.

What Staff Can Usually Say, With and Without a Release

Without a signed release: Staff can listen, take a message and pass it along. Information you give the team, such as changes you have noticed, medication history or past treatment, can still help the clinicians, and sharing it does not require a release.

With a release limited to basic information: Staff may confirm the person is admitted, share general attendance or participation and let you know about family sessions or expected discharge timing.

With a broader release: The primary therapist or care team may discuss the treatment plan, overall progress, medication changes in general terms and discharge planning, within whatever limits the person chose.

Even with a broad release, therapists often keep the specific content of individual sessions private unless the person wants it shared. That boundary is part of what makes therapy work, and respecting it tends to build trust that lasts past discharge.

Five Things to Do on Your First Call to the Program

These are steps you can take today, whether or not a release has been signed:

1. Ask the process question: Instead of asking how your person is doing, ask: “What is your process for a release of information, and how will I know if one is on file with my name on it?” Staff can explain the process even when they cannot confirm anything about a patient.
2. Write a one-page note for the clinical team: List recent changes you have seen, past diagnoses, medications you know about and anything that happened in the days before admission. Ask how to get it to the clinical team.
3. Ask for the policies in writing: Phone times, visiting days, what can be mailed or dropped off and how family sessions are scheduled.
4. Suggest one point of contact: If your person signs a release, one named family member as the main contact keeps updates consistent and avoids mixed messages.
5. Save the crisis numbers in your phone: If you are ever worried about immediate safety, call or text 988, or call 911. A residential program is not an emergency service.

Why Family Involvement Matters

Families going through this are not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 59.3 million U.S. adults, or 23.1% of all adults, were living with a mental illness in 2022, and about half of them (50.6%) received mental health treatment in the past year. These are the most recent figures on the NIMH statistics page when we checked it on October 9, 2026. Behind many of those numbers is a parent, partner or adult child trying to work out how to help.

Involvement usually works best when it follows the person’s lead. Encouraging, rather than pressuring, a release; respecting limits on what is shared; and showing up for family sessions when they are offered are all ways to stay connected. The NIMH page on finding help for mental illnesses is a useful starting point for families who want more background.

When Safety Is the Concern

If your family member says something that suggests they may harm themselves, or you are worried about their safety at any point before, during or after treatment, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, any time of day. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If your person is currently in a residential program, you can also call the program and share your concern. Staff can receive that information even when they cannot discuss the patient with you.

Planning Ahead, Including for Discharge

The release matters again near discharge. If your person wants family involved in aftercare, ask whether the release also covers coordination with outpatient providers, and who on the team will handle that handoff. If you are still exploring options for someone you love, you can verify insurance coverage, take the facility tour or call 877-883-0780 to talk through how admission, consent and family contact work.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical, legal or mental health advice. Privacy rules and program policies vary, and the information here may not apply to every situation. Talk with a qualified professional about your specific circumstances. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.

For most families, the decision that residential mental health treatment makes sense comes first, and the insurance questions arrive right behind it. What surprises many people is that insurance approval for a residential stay is rarely a single yes. It is usually a sequence: an initial authorization before or at admission, then a series of reviews during treatment, each one deciding whether more days are covered. Understanding that sequence makes a denial, if one comes, feel less like the end of the road.

This guide explains the process in plain terms: who makes the decision, what they look at, what a concurrent review is, and what you can do if the plan stops approving days before the treatment team thinks the work is done. If you would rather have someone check your specific plan, our admissions team can do that at 877-883-0780.

How Authorization for a Residential Stay Works

Insurance approval for residential mental health treatment usually happens in stages rather than all at once. Before or at admission, the program sends clinical information to the health plan and requests prior authorization. Many plans approve a limited block of days and then schedule a concurrent review, a check-in where the program reports progress and the plan decides whether to cover more days. Before treatment starts, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommends asking your plan four questions: whether it covers the type of treatment you want and at what rate, what your copay or coinsurance is and how many days of treatment are covered per year, which facilities or providers are preferred, and whether it offers a case manager who can help at no cost. (Source: SAMHSA insurance coverage guidance, page last updated April 24, 2023, checked October 8, 2026.)

Who Actually Makes the Decision

The person deciding is usually not the customer service representative who answers the main number on your card. Many health plans manage mental health benefits through a separate behavioral health department or company, with its own phone line. SAMHSA notes that many insurance cards list a separate number for mental health and substance use, sometimes labeled behavioral health. That is the line to call about residential care.

Behind that line is a utilization review team. Reviewers, often nurses or licensed clinicians, compare the clinical information the program submits against the plan’s written medical necessity criteria. When a reviewer is not prepared to approve, the case typically goes to a physician reviewer before a denial is issued. In most cases, the person in treatment never speaks to the reviewer directly. The program’s own utilization review staff carry those conversations.

What the Plan Looks At

Criteria vary by plan, but reviewers usually ask about:

• Current symptoms and safety: how severe symptoms are right now, and whether there are safety concerns that need a structured, around-the-clock setting.
• Daily functioning: whether the person can manage sleep, eating, self-care, work or school without that level of structure.
• History with other levels of care: whether outpatient therapy, an intensive outpatient program or a partial hospitalization program has been tried, and what happened.
• Progress since the last review: what has changed, what has not, and what the treatment team is working on next.
• A realistic step-down plan: whether there is a clear next level of care to move into, and what still needs to happen before that move is safe.

What a Concurrent Review Looks Like From the Inside

Families usually experience a concurrent review as a sudden message midweek: the team is waiting to hear about more days. The person in treatment may notice it too, and it can bring a specific worry. Feeling a little better can seem like it will cost them coverage. That worry is understandable, and it is worth naming with the care team rather than carrying alone.

There is an inconvenient truth underneath this process. The reviewer never meets the person in treatment. They see the documentation. A hard night that is not shared with staff, or a symptom that is downplayed in group, does not exist for the reviewer. Being honest with the treatment team about what is still difficult is not gaming the system. It is the only way the record reflects what is really happening.

If a reviewer signals that more days will not be approved, the program can often request a peer-to-peer review. This is a conversation between a physician or clinician from the program and the plan’s physician reviewer. There is usually a short window to request it, so ask the program early whether one was requested and what the outcome was.

If the Plan Stops Approving Days

A denial of continued stay is a coverage decision. It is not, by itself, a clinical judgment that treatment is finished, and it does not mean someone must leave that day. Talk with the treatment team about what they recommend and what your options are. Then:

1. Get the decision in writing. Ask for the denial letter and the specific criteria the plan used. You are entitled to understand the reason.
2. Ask about an expedited appeal. Most plans are required to offer a faster appeal track when waiting could seriously harm a person’s health. Ask whether your situation qualifies and what the exact deadline is, and write it down.
3. File the internal appeal. The treatment team can often supply a letter explaining why continued residential care is clinically necessary.
4. Know the outside options. In California, if your plan is regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care or the California Department of Insurance, you may be able to request an Independent Medical Review after the plan’s internal appeal, or sooner in urgent cases. Self-funded employer plans follow federal rules instead, so ask your plan which applies to you.

It also helps to know your rights to equal coverage. According to SAMHSA’s guidance on insurance coverage, private health insurance, Medicaid, CHIP and Medicare plans that cover mental health treatment must pay for it at a level comparable to medical and surgical care, and limits on those benefits must also be comparable. If a limit on mental health care looks stricter than what the plan applies to a comparable medical stay, it is reasonable to ask the plan to explain the difference.

Do This Today: Start an Insurance Call Log

Before your next call to the plan, open a note on your phone or a page in a notebook. For every call, record the date and time, the name of the person you spoke with, the call reference number, what they told you and the next deadline. Then ask these questions, word for word if it helps:

• Does residential mental health treatment require prior authorization on my plan, and who submits the request?
• How many days are usually approved at a time, and when is the next review?
• If more days are denied, how do I request an expedited appeal, and what is the deadline?
• Can I authorize a family member to speak with you about my coverage? SAMHSA notes you can ask your plan to help set this up.

A log like this matters most when something goes wrong. Reference numbers and dates turn a frustrating memory into a record the plan, the program or a state regulator can act on.

When Things Feel Urgent

The insurance process should never delay emergency care. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are having thoughts of suicide or are in emotional distress, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day. A residential program is not an emergency service, and authorization questions can be sorted out once someone is safe. The National Institute of Mental Health also maintains a list of ways to find help, including crisis options.

Getting Help With the Process

Our team can run a free benefits check through our insurance verification page, explain what your plan is likely to require, and walk you through what our residential mental health program involves. If residential care turns out not to be the right fit, we can talk through the other treatment programs that might be. Call 877-883-0780 to talk with someone today.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical, legal or insurance advice. Coverage rules, appeal deadlines and authorization requirements vary by plan and change over time. Always confirm details with your health plan and talk with a qualified health care professional about your specific situation. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.