Best Psychiatrists That Will Accept Medicare (2024)

If you have struggled with your mental health in the past, or if you’re currently in a season of life where your mental health needs to improve, you may want to know whether there are psychiatrists that accept Medicare.

While not all psychiatrists accept Medicare plans, there are many who do. You can do a search online, speak to your health insurance agent, or ask your primary doctor for a referral to ensure you find a psychiatrist that is considered in-network.

While there is no such thing as a Medicare psychiatrist, you should not have too much of an issue finding a psychiatrist that will work with you under your Medicare health coverage.

If you’re looking more for an online psychiatrist, Medicare may not offer the same amount of coverage.

Finding affordable Medicare insurance for psychiatry does not have to be a big headache. You can evaluate whether your current Medicare plan offers coverage for psychiatric care.

If you want to look into a new Medicare plan, you can find Medicare insurance quotes for psychiatry online and compare health insurance quotes from multiple companies at once.

As you compare Medicare insurance companies that cover psychiatric care, be sure to look closely at the explanation of benefits for each Medicare plan.

You can use our free quote tool above right now to search for Medicare insurance rates that cover psychiatry in your town.

Do psychiatrists take Medicare?

There are many psychiatrists who do take Medicare insurance. But it is your responsibility to make sure your reason for visiting the psychiatrist is covered by Medicare before you go.

If you have an Original Medicare plan, Medicare Part B will typically cover any outpatient mental health services you receive.

Medicare will often cover therapy, counseling, and psychiatric services, including the following:

• Psychiatric evaluations for mental health disorders
• Diagnostic tests for mental health disorders
• Group and family therapy
• Individual therapy
• Substance abuse sessions

Though these areas seem to be very vast, there are some caveats within each.

For example, Medicare will pay for group or family therapy if the goal of therapy is to help an underlying medical condition. But Medicare will not necessarily cover therapy sessions for the purpose of improving your mental health.

Similarly, Medicare covers substance abuse sessions, but you can only have four initial sessions before Medicare decides whether additional sessions will be covered.

Will Medicare cover inpatient psychiatric care?

If you need to see a psychiatrist in a hospital or other inpatient setting, Medicare Part A would be responsible for your coverage.

Regardless of your condition and reasons for being admitted to an inpatient facility for psychiatric care, Medicare will only cover 190 days of inpatient psychiatric care in your lifetime.

For some, this limitation on psychiatric care while they are hospitalized is surprising.

If possible, you may want to look into whether Medicare Advantage plans offer any additional coverage for psychiatric care. Because Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies, they may offer more coverage for mental health services.

You can search for the best Medicare company for you online to see what is available to you and how much you would pay in rates.

If you are struggling with mental health issues and do not know what to do, you can reach out to groups like SAMHSA for assistance. They will help you determine where to go while offering care and support.

As you consider buying Medicare insurance for psychiatric services, be sure to use our free quote tool below to see rates for Medicare plans in your area.