Mental health care (inpatient)

Mental health care (inpatient)

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)

 provides coverage for mental health care services you get in a hospital that require you to be admitted as an inpatient.

Your costs in Original Medicare
  • $1,364 ($1,408 in 2020) Deductible [glossary] for each Benefit period .
  • Days 1–60: $0 Coinsurance per day of each benefit period.
  • Days 61–90: $341 ($352 in 2020) coinsurance per day of each benefit period.
  • Days 91 and beyond: $682 ($704 in 2020) coinsurance per each "lifetime reserve day" after day 90 for each benefit period (up to 60 days over your lifetime).
  • Beyond Lifetime reserve days : all costs.
  • 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for mental health services you get from doctors and other providers while you're a hospital inpatient.

Note

There's no limit to the number of benefit periods you can have when you get mental health care in a general hospital. You can also have multiple benefit periods when you get care in a psychiatric hospital. Remember, there's a lifetime limit of 190 days.

Note

Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend you get services more often than Medicare covers. Or, they may recommend services that Medicare doesn’t cover. If this happens, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. Ask questions so you understand why your doctor is recommending certain services and whether Medicare will pay for them.
What it is

Mental health care services help with conditions like depression and anxiety.

Things to know

You can get these mental health care services either in a general hospital or a psychiatric hospital that only cares for people with mental health conditions.

If you're in a psychiatric hospital (instead of a general hospital), Part A only pays for up to 190 days of inpatient psychiatric hospital services during your lifetime.

Medicare doesn't cover:

  • Private duty nursing
  • A phone or television in your room
  • Personal items, like toothpaste, socks, or razors
  • A private room, unless Medically necessary
Related resources

Note

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889). You can call and speak with a counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call 911 if you're in immediate medical crisis.

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