Does Medicare Cover Counseling? 

Counseling is a mental and behavioral healthcare treatment solution that millions of seniors find beneficial. Seniors and retirees may discover that they need counseling. Reasons include a wide range of mental health concerns including depression, anxiety or substance abuse. Counseling sessions generally take place in an outpatient setting.  Seniors are able to visit a clinic to work in individual and group counseling sessions to discuss concerns and solutions to mental health matters.

Does Medicare cover counseling?

Medicare benefits for counseling are available to seniors and retirees in a number of different ways. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recognizes that counseling plays a large role in overall health and wellness. Mental health concerns can manifest themselves physically as well. Seeking help at the first sign of trouble is often the key to enjoying an improved quality of life. Avoid the potential for cascading health problems in the future by addressing concerns early with your physician.

How does Part B cover counseling?

When counseling is provided in an outpatient setting, services are covered by Medicare Part B. In order to take advantage of Medicare Part B, your counselor or mental health support team will need to accept assignment and participate in Medicare. In general, Medicare requires that all service providers be licensed by the state in which they provide counseling services. 

There is no limit to the number of counseling sessions Medicare recipients can take part in each benefit period, but you will need to meet your deductible before Medicare benefits provide coverage. The Part B deductible for 2023 is $226. This is the amount of medical spending you must incur before Medicare will provide coverage for outpatient services.

Inpatient counseling and Medicare coverage

While counseling services are usually provided on an outpatient basis, some Medicare recipients may require inpatient counseling. This may be necessary when someone has already been hospitalized and their care team believes that counseling is necessary.  Mental health care can also be the primary reason for being admitted to a hospital or skilled nursing facility.

Medicare benefits for inpatient care are provided by Medicare Part A. This coverage is usually available with no premium required, but a deductible still applies to Part A coverage for all Medicare recipients. Medicare coverage under Part A is limited in each benefit period. For hospital care, Medicare benefits provide up to 60 days of full coverage, but skilled nursing home care is limited to 20 days of full coverage. Up to an additional 30 days of hospital coverage and up to 80 additional days of skilled nursing facility care are available at a per-day fee.

How does Medicare cover medications prescribed to treat mental health issues?  

Everyone who goes to counseling is not prescribed medication. In the case that a physician prescribes medications to help you treat a condition, Part D may help. Prescriptions are covered by Medicare Part D as long as the prescribed drug is listed in your plan’s formulary. Medicare Part D is optional coverage available to help cover costs associated with prescriptions that can be purchased from retail pharmacies.

Medications administered in outpatient or inpatient settings will be covered by their respective parts of Medicare insurance. Prescription costs can vary based on your plan and the specific medication that has been prescribed. Medicare recipients will often have to meet a plan deductible before they can utilize benefits to pay for prescriptions, and copays may be due at the time of a prescription purchase.