Medicare Coverage for Mental Health: What's Included in 2026
Quick Answer
Yes. Medicare covers mental health care including therapy, psychiatric visits, inpatient treatment, and many psychiatric medications. As of 2024, Medicare also covers licensed counselors and marriage and family therapists.
Medicare’s mental health coverage expanded meaningfully in 2024, adding new types of providers and intensive outpatient programs. Whether you need talk therapy, medication management, or inpatient care, there is a covered path.
What Original Medicare Covers for Mental Health
Part AHospital Coverage
- Inpatient mental health care in a general or psychiatric hospital
- Note: a 190-day lifetime limit applies in a freestanding psychiatric hospital
Part BMedical Coverage
- Individual and group psychotherapy and psychiatric evaluations
- Medication management and one free depression screening per year
- Services from licensed professional counselors and marriage & family therapists (added 2024)
- Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program services (added 2024)
- Telehealth mental health visits
Part DPrescription Drugs
- Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety medications
- Other prescription psychiatric drugs
What Medicare Advantage May Add
Benefits vary by plan, county, and year. The items below are common but not guaranteed — always confirm in the plan’s Summary of Benefits.
- Telehealth therapy and expanded provider networks on many plans
- Sometimes lower copays for behavioral health visits
- Care coordination for members with serious mental illness (varies by plan)
What Is NOT Covered
- Non-medical life coaching and most wellness counseling
- Care from providers who do not accept Medicare
- Inpatient days beyond the 190-day psychiatric-hospital lifetime limit (freestanding facilities)
What You Can Expect to Pay
Outpatient therapy
20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible
Depression screening
Free once per year
Medications
Part D cost-sharing, with the $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap (2025)
In Your State
In Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, many Medicare Advantage plans offer telehealth therapy and broader behavioral-health networks. Provider availability and copays vary by plan and county.
Tips to Maximize Your Mental Health Coverage
- 1Use the free annual depression screening.
- 2Telehealth therapy is broadly covered — convenient if local providers are scarce.
- 3Confirm a therapist or psychiatrist accepts Medicare before booking.
- 4The 190-day limit applies only to freestanding psychiatric hospitals, not general hospitals.
- 5On Medicare Advantage, check the behavioral-health network before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Medicare cover therapy and counseling?
Yes. Part B covers individual and group psychotherapy, and as of 2024 it also covers licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists. You generally pay 20% after the deductible.
Does Medicare cover a psychiatrist?
Yes. Psychiatric evaluations and medication management are covered under Part B, and psychiatric medications are covered under Part D.
Does Medicare cover inpatient mental health care?
Yes. Part A covers inpatient mental health care, though a 190-day lifetime limit applies specifically to care in a freestanding psychiatric hospital.
Does Medicare cover telehealth therapy?
Yes. Medicare covers mental health visits delivered by telehealth, including from your home, which has made therapy far more accessible.
Find a Plan That Covers Your Mental Health Care
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See all conditions and services Medicare coversThis information is for educational purposes. Consult your doctor for medical advice and a licensed Medicare advisor for plan coverage questions. Plan availability, benefits, and costs vary by ZIP code and change annually; dollar amounts are shown with the year they apply and update each year.
HealthPlan Connect is not affiliated with or endorsed by the federal Medicare program or any government agency. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by Lynsey Brennan, Licensed Medicare Advisor (FL License #G007269).