Page 18 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 17, 2025 Sa nir Sa Sa y nior y Senior Seni by Jim Miller Does Medicare Cover Talk Therapy Services? Dear Savvy Senior, What types of mental health services does Medicare cover? I struggle with anxiety and depression, and my primary care provider recommended I see a therapist or psychiatrist. Anxious Annie Saugus Lions spreading the holiday spirit at Chestnut Woods (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 17 Memorial Day Parade, POW/ MIA Recognition Day and the Veterans Day ceremony The Saugus Veterans’ Services Offi ce is located on the main fl oor of Saugus Town Hall at 298 Central St. Paul Cancelliere serves as the veterans’ services officer, and Nancy Stead is the administrative assistant for the department. For more information call 781-231-4010 or email pcancelliere@saugus-ma.gov, veteransservices@saugus-ma.gov or nstead@saugus-ma.gov What’s going on at the library · Needle Crafting: Hello to fans of needle crafting: knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, embroidery, etc. The Saugus Public Library Needle Crafting Group will start on Thursday, January 23, from 10–11 a.m. in the Brooks Room. No registration needed – dropins welcome. Bring your Work in Progress and enjoy the conversation … cocoa and tea will be provided. Any questions? Call Reference at 781-231-4168. · Want to make a clay dragon? There’s another neat class coming up at the Saugus Public Library on Monday, Jan. 27, at 5:30 p.m. in the Brooks Room on the second fl oor. There will be a professional potter at the library from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to assist people who would like to make a clay dragon. This program is for fi fth graders and up. Please register in advance at the library. · Teen Board Game Nite: The Saugus Public Library will be hosting another Teen Board Game Group on Feb. 3 in the Teen Room from 5:307 p.m. Teens who want to play board and card games should put this one on their calendar. For more information, please call Rachel at 781-231-4168 or email rhuntington@noblenet.org. About The Saugus Advocate We welcome press releases, news announcements, freelance articles and courtesy photos from the community. Our deadline is 6 p.m. on Tuesday. If you have a story idea, an article or photo to submit, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a message at 978-6837773. Or send your press release to me in the mail at PO Box 485, North Andover, MA 01845. Let us become your hometown newspaper. The Saugus Advocate is available in the Saugus Public Library, the Saugus Senior Center, Saugus Town Hall, local convenience stores and restaurants throughout town. Dear Annie, Medicare actually covers both outpatient and inpatient mental health care services and programs to help benefi ciaries with anxiety, depression and many other mental health needs. Here what you should know. Outpatient Coverage If you’re enrolled in original Medicare, your Part B coverage will pay 80 percent (after you’ve met your annual $257 Part B deductible) for a variety of counseling and mental health care services that are provided outside a hospital, such as in a doctor or therapist’s offi ce, hospital outpatient department or community health center. These services can also be received via telehealth. You, or your Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policy, is responsible for the remaining 20 percent coinsurance. Medicare also gives you the expanded option of getting treatment through a variety of health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical nurse specialists, clinical social workers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors. To get this coverage, you’ll need to choose a participating provider that accepts Medicare assignment, which means they accept Medicare’s approved amount as full payment for a service. If you choose a nonparticipating provider who accepts Medicare but does not agree to Medicare’s payment rate, you may have to pay more. And if you choose an optout provider that does not accept Medicare payments at all, you will be responsible for the entire cost. To locate a mental health care professional in your area that accepts Medicare, go to Medicare. gov/care-compare, click on “doctors & clinicians” and type in your location, followed by “clinical psychologist” or “psychiatry” in the Name & Keyword box. You can also get this information by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227. Inpatient Coverage If you happen to need mental health services in either a general or psychiatric hospital, original Medicare Part A covers this too, after you’ve met your $1,676 Part A deductible. Your doctor should determine which hospital setting you need. If you receive care in a psychiatric hospital, Medicare covers up to 190 days of inpatient care for your lifetime. And if you use your lifetime days but need additional care, Medicare may cover additional inpatient care at a general hospital. Additional Coverage In addition to the outpatient and inpatient mental health services, Medicare also covers yearly depression screenings that must be done in a primary care doctor’s offi ce or clinic. Annual depression screenings are covered 100 percent. And if you have a Medicare prescription drug plan, most medications used to treat mental health conditions are covered too. Medicare Advantage Coverage If you get your Medicare benefi ts through a private Medicare Advantage plan, they too provide the same coverage as original Medicare does, but may impose diff erent rules and will likely require you to see an in-network provider. You’ll need to contact your plan directly for details. For more information, call Medicare at 800-633-4227 and request a copy of publication #10184 “Medicare & Your Mental Health Benefi ts,” or you can read it online at Medicare.gov. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. ior
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