Therapists who accept Medicare

Using Medicare for therapy

Most Medicare plans include mental-health coverage thanks to federal parity laws, which require carriers to cover mental-health services at comparable rates to medical services. Coverage details — copay, deductible, session limits, and whether you need a referral — vary by plan.

Before your first session, ask Medicare:

• Is outpatient mental-health therapy covered on my plan?
• What's my copay or coinsurance for an in-network therapy session?
• Is my deductible met?
• Do I need a referral from a primary-care physician?
• Are telehealth sessions covered the same as in-person?

The intake coordinator who follows up after you submit the matching form can help verify coverage with the therapist's billing team before your first session — you don't need to figure all of this out alone.