Does medicare cover mental health therapy?

Generally, Medicare covers outpatient mental health therapy under Part B, including counseling for depression or anxiety. You'll typically be responsible for the 20% coinsurance after meeting your yearly deductible. Just make sure your provider is a licensed Medicare practitioner before scheduling.

Medicare does cover therapy sessions to help with mental health, which is a wonderful support for many. It covers psychiatric evaluations and regular counseling under Part B. Just talk to your family doctor, and they can write a referral to a certified therapist who takes Medicare.

I went through therapy last year and Medicare Part B paid for my sessions, minus the standard 20% copay. My tip is to ask the clinic specifically if they accept 'Medicare assignment'—this prevents them from charging you extra beyond the Medicare-approved amount. It worked smoothly for me.

I really want to start therapy but I keep worrying that Medicare will reject the claims and leave me with a huge bill. Has anyone else felt this anxiety while trying to get help? I would love to know if the billing process was actually simple for you guys.