top of page
Search

Carelon Psychiatrist in Los Angeles: What Your Plan Covers and How to Book

Writer: Veronica Sanchez
Veronica Sanchez
Oct 20
8 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Written by the Prescribed Wellness Psychiatry team · Medically reviewed by Veronica Sanchez, MD · Updated October 2026


Carelon Psychiatrist in Los Angeles: What Your Plan Covers and How to Book

Yes. Starting October 18, 2026, Prescribed Wellness Psychiatry is in network with Carelon Behavioral Health for outpatient psychiatry: the first evaluation, medication management, and follow-up visits. Carelon is not an insurer. It manages the mental health benefit for other health plans, so its name may sit on your card next to your plan's. We are on the Cahuenga Pass, minutes from Toluca Lake and Burbank, and we see Carelon patients by secure video anywhere in California.


Carelon confuses people because it shows up on cards from several different insurers. Below is what Carelon is, how to tell whether your plan uses it, which services need approval ahead of time, what a visit costs, and what to check before you book. Verified October 2026.


Key takeaways

✓ Prescribed Wellness Psychiatry is in network with Carelon Behavioral Health for outpatient psychiatry as of October 18, 2026.

✓ Carelon Behavioral Health is Elevance Health's behavioral health company, formerly Beacon Health Options. It runs the mental health benefit for many health plans rather than selling insurance itself.

✓ If your card lists a separate behavioral health or mental health number, that number may reach Carelon rather than your insurer. It is the right number to call about psychiatry benefits.

✓ Routine outpatient visits generally do not need prior authorization under Carelon. Psychological testing does, and rules vary by the plan behind your card, so we verify before your first visit.

✓ Your cost comes from your plan's copay and deductible, not from the diagnosis. Coverage rules change; confirm your own benefits before your visit.


What is Carelon Behavioral Health, and why is it on my card?

Carelon Behavioral Health is a company that manages mental health and substance use benefits on behalf of health plans. It belongs to Elevance Health, the parent of Anthem, and until 2023 it was called Beacon Health Options. If you have had a Beacon card in the past, this is the same company under a new name.


Health plans that use Carelon keep the medical side of your coverage in house and hand the behavioral side to Carelon. That is why a card can show one insurer's logo and a different phone number for mental health. When that number belongs to Carelon, Carelon is the one that confirms your psychiatry benefit, keeps the provider directory, and pays the claim.


Nothing about this changes what is covered. Federal parity law requires mental health benefits to be no more restrictive than the medical benefits on the same plan. Carelon administers the benefit; your plan still defines it.


Which health plans use Carelon for mental health?

More than most people expect. Carelon manages behavioral health for commercial employer plans, individual plans, Medicare Advantage plans, and state Medicaid programs across the country. Members of Anthem plans frequently have their behavioral health carved out to Carelon, and Carelon Behavioral Health of California also runs the mental health benefit for Sutter Health Plan and for several California Medi-Cal plans, including L.A. Care.


Two things to know before you call:


  1. The way to tell is your card. Look for a behavioral health or mental health phone number that differs from the main member services number, or the Carelon name printed on the back. If you still cannot tell, Carelon's own member line is (866) 477-8208.

  2. Being in network with Carelon does not mean every plan that uses Carelon reaches our practice. We are not in network with Medi-Cal or L.A. Care today. If your Carelon benefit comes through one of those plans, or through an Anthem plan, call or text (626) 681-3729 with your card in hand and we will tell you exactly where your plan stands before you book.


Do you need prior authorization to see a psychiatrist with Carelon?

Generally no, for a routine office or video visit. Carelon's California provider materials list the initial evaluation, medication management, and psychotherapy as standard outpatient services, and the one outpatient service they tie to prior authorization is psychological testing. Authorization rules for other levels of care, such as intensive outpatient programs, inpatient stays, and residential treatment, depend on the plan behind your card.


For a first psychiatric evaluation and the follow-up visits that come after, you are booking an appointment, not filing paperwork. We confirm your benefit with Carelon before the first visit, so if your particular plan has an extra step, you hear it from us first.


What will you pay with Carelon?

Whatever your plan says an outpatient mental health visit costs. Carelon does not set a separate psychiatry price; it applies the copay, coinsurance, and deductible that your plan chose. Many plans treat a psychiatrist visit like a specialist visit, and some treat it like a primary care visit. Your Summary of Benefits, or one call to the number on your card, settles which.


Ask three questions: what is my copay or coinsurance for an in-network outpatient mental health visit, does my deductible apply first, and do I need a referral. Write down the answers and the date. If you have not met a deductible, visits early in the plan year can cost more than later ones. There is no charge for finding out.


Can you use Carelon for telehealth psychiatry in California?

Yes. California law requires state-regulated health plans to cover a service delivered by video on the same basis as the same service delivered in person, and to charge no more for it. That rule has applied to plan contracts issued or renewed since January 1, 2021. Self-funded employer plans follow federal rules instead, so if your coverage comes through a large employer, the number on your card is the place to confirm.


With us, telehealth means the same psychiatrist, the same chart, and the same plan of care as your office visits. Video visits run on athenahealth, and you start yours from the patient portal. You need to be physically in California during the visit, and you can switch between video and in-person visits as your care goes on. Our California telehealth page explains how a video visit works.


What does Carelon psychiatry look like at Prescribed Wellness?

A 50-minute first evaluation, then 25-minute follow-ups. Prescribed Wellness Psychiatry is a physician-owned psychiatry group led by Dr. Veronica Sanchez, MD. Our psychiatrists are physicians (MD or DO), and our team practices psychiatry rooted in integrative wellness, so sleep, movement, nutrition, and stress are part of the plan from the first visit. We see adults 18 and over, with child and adolescent psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry being added as new psychiatrists join. Visits can be in English or Spanish. You can meet our psychiatrists here.


We are at 3800 Barham Blvd, Suite 416, in Los Angeles, on the Cahuenga Pass, with parking in the building. That puts us minutes from Toluca Lake, Burbank, and the Burbank studio lots, and close in from Studio City, Universal City, North Hollywood, and the Hollywood Hills. If you are coming from a lot, our guide for people who work in entertainment covers scheduling and privacy.

Coming from Burbank? Our page on finding a psychiatrist near Burbank covers directions, insurance and booking, and our psychiatrists in Los Angeles page covers the whole practice.


We are also in network with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Medicare, Optum and UnitedHealthcare, and our insurance guide lists every plan we work with. If your plan is out of network, we provide a superbill you can submit for reimbursement, and self-pay rates come with a Good Faith Estimate before your first visit.


How do I get started?

  1. Call or text (626) 681-3729, or request an appointment online. Tell us your plan uses Carelon.

  2. Have your member ID card handy. The plan name, the member ID, and the behavioral health number on the card are what we need to verify benefits.

  3. Ask Carelon your three questions: copay or coinsurance, whether the deductible applies, and whether you need a referral.

  4. Complete the intake forms we send before your visit. Details are on our current patients page.

  5. Bring a list of medications you take now and have tried before, and your three biggest questions.



Not sure what happens at a first appointment? Our post on what to expect at your first psychiatric evaluation walks through the visit step by step.


Frequently asked questions

Does Carelon cover psychiatry in California?

Yes. Carelon Behavioral Health administers the mental health benefit for the health plans that use it, and outpatient psychiatric evaluation and medication management are standard covered services. What you pay depends on your plan's copay, coinsurance, and deductible. Confirm your own benefits by calling the behavioral health number on your card before your first visit.


Is Carelon an insurance company?

No. Carelon Behavioral Health manages mental health and substance use benefits on behalf of health plans and employers. It is part of Elevance Health and was called Beacon Health Options until 2023. Your insurer still defines the benefit; Carelon confirms eligibility, keeps the provider directory, and pays the claim.


Which psychiatrist in Los Angeles takes Carelon?

Prescribed Wellness Psychiatry is in network with Carelon Behavioral Health for outpatient psychiatry as of October 18, 2026, in person at 3800 Barham Blvd, Suite 416, minutes from Toluca Lake and Burbank, or by secure video anywhere in California. Call or text (626) 681-3729 with your card and we will confirm your plan reaches us.


Does Carelon require prior authorization for a psychiatry appointment?

Routine outpatient visits, including the first evaluation and medication management, generally do not require prior authorization. Psychological testing does, and higher levels of care, such as intensive outpatient or inpatient treatment, follow the rules of the plan behind your card. We verify your benefit before your first visit.


How much does a psychiatrist cost with Carelon?

Your plan's copay or coinsurance for an outpatient mental health visit, once any deductible is met. Carelon does not set a separate psychiatry price. Ask the number on your card what an in-network outpatient mental health visit costs and whether your deductible applies first. Visits early in the plan year can cost more if the deductible is unmet.


Can I see a psychiatrist by video with Carelon?

Yes. California requires state-regulated health plans to cover video visits on the same basis as in-person visits, and we see Carelon patients by secure video anywhere in California. Video visits run on athenahealth and start from the patient portal. You must be physically in California during the visit, and you can switch between video and office visits.


Sources


Coverage varies by plan, and benefits change. This page is general information, not a guarantee of coverage. Always confirm your specific benefits with your plan before your visit.



Medical disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor a guarantee of insurance coverage. Coverage rules and costs change and vary by plan; always verify your benefits. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.

Comments

bottom of page