Important Info about Medicare Mental Health Coverage
Medicare cares about your mental health and offers services to support you. Mental health conditions, like depression or anxiety, can happen at any time to anyone. So, it’s important to talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing:
- Thoughts of ending your life
- Sad, empty, or hopeless feelings
- A lack of energy
- Trouble concentrating
- Trouble sleeping
- Little interest in things you used to enjoy
- Weight loss or loss of appetite
- Increased use of alcohol or other drugs
- Loss of self-worth
- Social withdrawal and isolation
Medicare helps pay for mental health services through Part A and Part B. If you have Part A and you’re an inpatient in a general or psychiatric hospital, Medicare helps pay for therapy, lab tests, and other services. If you have Part B, Medicare helps cover mental health visits you would get from a doctor and services you generally get outside of a hospital. These include one depression screening per year, one alcohol misuse screening per year, opioid use disorder treatment services, and other services.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and Medicare wants you to feel safe and supported. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so visit Medicare.gov for more information about your mental health coverage.