Maybe Not as Easy as I Thought?

Hopefully I'm overreacting to a letter I got in the mail from the behavioral health (new word for Psychiatric?) facility I'll be visiting. It states, in part:

On behalf of ABC Insurance Company, the Local University Behavioral Health Department determines whether a requested service is medically necessary and covered under your health benefit plan. We have received a request for coverage of Behavioral Health Services with FirstNameLastName, MD.

Your request for behavioral health services has been approved. You are approved for one visit from 11.20.09 to 1.31.10. Please schedule the approved number of visits within this period of time.

LIMITED BENEFIT: Services for behavioral health and alcohol and/or other drug abuse services is a limited benefit; per your schedule of benefit sand Medical Certificate of Coverage, your policy covers the following medically indicated services, up to the limits of the policy outlined below, when services are provided by a participating provider and prior authorized.

It then goes on to list the limitations of my current coverage.

I have a few questions about this...

First, how can they determine whether my requested service is medically necessary before they have me meet with a licensed professional? The person they had me speak with in order to make my appointment asked me maybe 4 or 5 questions. Maybe they thought they had enough information based on my answers, I don't know. {shrug} If it was enough, I can probably pinpoint the answer that did it, but still.

Second, my coverage doesn't require prior authorization to see specialists (members are permitted to self-refer), and nowhere on my Schedule of Benefits does it say that I have to obtain prior authorization to receive behavioral health benefits.

Third, how can it say that I am only approved for one visit between 11/20 and 1/31, when recent amendments to the Mental Health Parity Act go into affect as of 1/1? I suppose as long as my visits/medication are covered, I shouldn't worry too much about it, but the letter gave me a severe case of raised eyebrow.

Oh. And for anyone wondering, this is strictly about behavioral health. I do not abuse drugs or alcohol.