One of the things I have noticed since beginning to accept Medicare is that many people simply don't know that Medicare covers psychotherapy.
They may know that Medicare covers their physician, lab work, hospital care and other medical services, but mental health treatment can be less clear. Some people assume therapy isn't covered at all. Others have spent considerable time calling therapists only to discover that the therapist doesn't accept Medicare.
So let's make this relatively simple.
Yes, Medicare Covers Psychotherapy
Medicare Part B covers outpatient mental health treatment, including individual and group psychotherapy, when the service is medically necessary and provided by an eligible Medicare provider.
Marriage and family therapists are among the licensed mental health professionals who can provide covered Medicare mental health services.
This means that problems such as depression, anxiety, trauma, adjustment difficulties and other mental health conditions can be treated through psychotherapy under Medicare.
And no, therapy isn't just for people who are in crisis.
Many of the people I see are functioning reasonably well. They have careers, relationships, families and responsibilities. They may nevertheless be struggling privately with anxiety, depression, health concerns, relationship changes, retirement, loneliness, addiction recovery or simply the realization that their life has changed and they aren't quite sure what comes next.
Those are legitimate reasons to seek help.
What Does Medicare Pay?
Under Original Medicare, outpatient psychotherapy generally falls under Part B.
After the annual Part B deductible has been met, the patient generally pays 20% of the Medicare-approved amount when seeing a provider who accepts Medicare assignment. Other insurance, including a Medicare Supplement policy, may cover some or all of that remaining amount.
Medicare Advantage is somewhat different because these plans operate through private insurance companies and have their own provider networks and cost-sharing requirements.
If you have Medicare Advantage rather than Original Medicare, it is worth checking your particular plan before beginning treatment.
Does Medicare Cover Online Therapy?
Yes. Medicare covers psychotherapy delivered through telehealth, and Medicare allows mental and behavioral health treatment to be provided to patients in their homes.
I find this particularly useful with older adults.
Some people simply prefer meeting from home. Others may have mobility problems, transportation difficulties, demanding schedules, health problems or caregiving responsibilities that make getting to an office unnecessarily difficult.
I provide both telehealth psychotherapy throughout California and in-person appointments at my office in Burbank.
Therapy Later in Life Can Be Different
I think there is sometimes an assumption that therapy is primarily for younger people.
I don't agree.
Later life brings its own psychological challenges.
Retirement can change a person's identity. Adult children leave or relationships with them change. Marriages evolve. Parents and friends die. Health problems appear. Careers end. Financial priorities change. Sometimes people begin asking questions they didn't have time to ask when they were 35 and busy building a career and raising a family.
What do I want the rest of my life to look like?
That's not pathology. It's a very human question.
Good therapy should provide room to examine these things without assuming that every uncomfortable feeling needs to be eliminated.
Sometimes anxiety or depression does require direct treatment. At other times the work involves understanding what has changed, what still matters, and how to build a meaningful next chapter.
Finding a Therapist Who Accepts Medicare
This can unfortunately require some persistence.
Not every therapist accepts Medicare, and not every therapist listed in a directory as working with older adults actually participates in Medicare.
Ask directly:
Do you currently accept Medicare?
You can also ask whether the therapist is accepting new patients, whether they offer telehealth, and whether their experience fits the problem you want help with.
Most importantly, find someone you can actually talk to.
Credentials and therapeutic techniques matter. So does the relationship.
After more than a decade of doing this work, I continue to believe that therapy works best when two people can sit down, figure out what is actually happening, and work together toward meaningful change.
Looking for a Medicare Therapist in California?
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Medicare provider. I work with adults and older adults dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, recovery, health concerns, major life transitions and questions of meaning and direction.
I offer telehealth throughout California and in-person psychotherapy in Burbank.
Contact me to discuss whether we might be a good fit.