Counseling With Medicare in Indiana

Medicare and Outpatient Mental Health Care

Medicare is federal health insurance for people 65 and older, as well as some younger people with disabilities or certain health conditions. Original Medicare generally includes coverage for outpatient mental health services, which can include counseling.

Costs such as deductibles or coinsurance can apply, and what you pay depends on your coverage and the type of visit. Rather than relying on general rules, it is best to check the details of your own plan before you begin. Coverage rules can also change from year to year, so the most current information comes from Medicare or your plan.

Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Supplements

Some people have Original Medicare. Others receive their benefits through a Medicare Advantage plan offered by a private insurance company. Medicare Advantage plans can have their own networks, referral rules and authorization requirements, so counseling may be handled differently than it would be under Original Medicare.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, a supplement policy or other coverage alongside Medicare, mention it when you contact the office, and ask your plan how it applies to outpatient counseling. If you have both Medicare and Indiana Traditional Medicaid, share both when you reach out.

An Indiana Plan at Infinity

Medicare appears on Infinity’s Indiana list of accepted plans, which you can review on the Insurance & Coverage page. It does not appear on the Illinois lists.

Whether telehealth is an option depends on the clinician and on where you are located during sessions, and the team can explain current options. If telehealth matters to you, ask Medicare or your plan how telehealth counseling is covered as well.

Support for Change, Loss and New Chapters

Medicare often coincides with later life, a stage that can bring meaningful change: retirement, shifts in health or independence, a move or adjusting to a different daily rhythm. Even welcome changes can stir up stress, uncertainty or a sense of loss. Caring for a spouse or family member can bring its own strain, and counseling can be a place to attend to your own well-being, too. Read more about life transitions.

Grief can follow the death of a spouse, friend or family member, and it can also follow losses that are harder to name. Our page on grief and loss explores this further. Individual counseling offers a supportive, nonjudgmental space to work through these experiences at your own pace.

Before You Call

Having a few things ready can make the first call smoother. For more general tips, see How to Check Your Mental Health Benefits.

• 01Your Medicare card, plus any Medicare Advantage, supplement or Medicaid card
• 02The name and date of birth of the person covered
• 03A short description of the support you are looking for, such as individual or family counseling
• 04Any questions about telehealth or scheduling