"Where we are tempted to speak of 'different senses' of a word which is clearly not equivocal, we may infer that we are in fact pretty much in the dark about the character of the concept which it represents."

— G.E.M Anscombe, Intention

Is philosophical counseling covered by medical insurance?

Philosophical counseling is not classified by the medical establishment as a form of "health care"; it is typically not eligible for coverage under most medical insurance plans, however please consult your insurance carrier to verify eligibility.

This topic raises difficult and far-reaching questions about how to understand the relations between medicine, health, and human well being.

To see one of the issues here, consider that while the point of medicine is to improve people's health, not everything that improves a person's health counts as medicine. For example, eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is good for our health, but we don't submit our grocery receipts to our HMOs for reimbursement.

Nor should we. Medicine, in the modern sense of the word, is narrowly concerned with treating illness and injury. Philosophy is concerned with something very different. Philosophy is concerned with thinking as well as possible about ... well, about whatever it is that a person wants or needs to think about.