Psychotherapists who accept medicare??

Posted by fate @fate, Nov 16, 2021

I have searched for over a year for a therapist who accepts medicare. My long term therapist retired and left me without a referral. These "young" therapist want private pay it seems. Are we older folks thrown to the curb because we are not profitable? Community mental health only cater to addiction therapy. I feel bitter, angry and terribly saddened that mental health care is accessible only to the more wealthy.

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@marsha2

She is in Delaware. Do you still want her name

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Does she do tele-therapy? Many do these days. So yes, I think we would like her name. We spend our summers in Bethany Beach

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@johnbishop

Hello @fate, Welcome to Connect. I'm sorry it has been so difficult to find a therapist who accepts Medicare. Here is some information I found on Medicare.Gov that may be helpful.

"How do I find a therapist with Medicare?
Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get free personalized health insurance counseling. To get the phone number for your state, visit shiptacenter.org, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048."
Medicare Coverage of Therapy Services: https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10988-Medicare-Limits-Therapy-Services.pdf

You can get the phone number for your state by visiting State Health Insurance Assistance Program - https://www.shiphelp.org/

Will you let us know if you find a therapist who accepts Medicare?

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Unfortunately, Medicare covers certain screenings, etc. But they often do not cover long term therapy.

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@nanasusan

Does she do tele-therapy? Many do these days. So yes, I think we would like her name. We spend our summers in Bethany Beach

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We speak on the phone. She does not do Zoom sessions. Her name is Carol Tavani.

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I've been in therapy for quite a few years and Medicare has always covered part of each visit. Most recently I paid $30 per session.

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When I was searching for a new physchiatrist the good ones did not take Medicare. The ones that did had one and two star ratings, terrible reviews. I live in a very large city. I didn’t think it would be that difficult to find a new doc, it was a nightmare. I pay out of pocket. I have no choice.

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Hello -
I have also been searching for a therapist/counselor for many months. I have contacted United Healthcare Medicare Advantage and they assured me someone would research therapist in my area and be in touch within three days. That was over two weeks ago. I have also done many web based searches (including psychology.com) where I did get a list of counselors/therapists in my area. Most of them indicated they did accept Medicare. However, when I contacted, ooops, no they don't. I see that most of the comments are a year old, my question is; is there any new information about possible help for those of us with Medicare?
Thank you!

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You can call Medicare directly and they may be able to help. The problem that I had with the doctors that took Medicare were doctors I personally would have never wanted to treat me. I found that the really reputable doctors do not take Medicare. Hoping you have a different outcome. Good luck. It’s a sad state of affairs for us old people when it comes to our mental health.

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hi all

i wish i could say i found someone taking medicare but have not. currently i am private paying for a psychiatrist to manage my meds. actually my son has helped me with the payments as it is about 350.00 an hour. fortunately he does half hour charges. i searched in my area for months. i have medicare with a supplement plan. no help from medicare or my supplemental insurance. my county will help me if i drop my supplement and apply for medi-cal. i can't do that as i have had cancer and don't want to lose the extended coverage. my therapist takes both but she can not prescribe. it's a mess. i am so close to stopping the psychiatrist because of the cost to me and my son.

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@sears

When I was searching for a new physchiatrist the good ones did not take Medicare. The ones that did had one and two star ratings, terrible reviews. I live in a very large city. I didn’t think it would be that difficult to find a new doc, it was a nightmare. I pay out of pocket. I have no choice.

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I am so sorry to hear this, as clearly I do understand your situation. Yes, it is a nightmare and seems a bit ironic that people who truly need help are unable to receive it.

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@sears

You can call Medicare directly and they may be able to help. The problem that I had with the doctors that took Medicare were doctors I personally would have never wanted to treat me. I found that the really reputable doctors do not take Medicare. Hoping you have a different outcome. Good luck. It’s a sad state of affairs for us old people when it comes to our mental health.

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Thank you for taking the time to respond and I appreciate your insights. I agree about the reputable doctors not accepting Medicare, as this has been my experience also. I have contacted my family physician, who I'll meet with a a few weeks, who is will to help me wade through some possibilities.
Thanks again, wish you the best and take care.

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