Pain management
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers these services that may help you manage your pain and related issues:
- Acupuncture for chronic low back pain
- Alcohol misuse screenings & counseling
- Behavioral health integration services
- Chiropractic services
- Chronic pain management and treatment services
- Depression screenings
- Mental health & substance disorder services
- Occupational therapy
- Opioid Use Disorder treatment services
- Physical therapy
If you have Medicare drug coverage (Part D), the plan may also have programs in place (like Medication Therapy Management Programs or drug management programs) to help you use prescription opioid pain medications more safely.
Your costs in Original Medicare
- For most pain management services, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for visits to your doctor or other health care provider to diagnose or treat your condition. The Part B deductible applies.
- If you get your services in a hospital outpatient clinic or hospital outpatient department, you may have to pay an additional copayment or coinsurance amount to the hospital.
- You pay nothing for a yearly depression screening if your doctor or health care provider accepts assignment.
To find out how much your test, item, or service will cost, talk to your doctor or health care provider. The specific amount you’ll owe may depend on several things, like:
- Other insurance you may have
- How much your doctor charges
- If your doctor accepts assignment
- The type of facility
- Where you get your test, item, or service
What it is
There are many ways to manage pain safely and effectively. While prescription pain medications covered under Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) may be effective at treating certain types of pain, especially during short-term use, you might be able to take other medications or do other things to help effectively manage your pain with less risk long term. Talk with your doctor about all your pain treatment options.
Things to know
There may be other ways to manage your pain. Your doctor may recommend treatment options that Medicare doesn’t cover, like massage therapy.
If this happens, or if your doctor or other health care provider recommends you get services more often than Medicare covers, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. Ask questions so you understand why your doctor is recommending certain services and if Medicare will pay for them.
Related resources
- Pain management options and best practices (Health & Human Services)
- Know your options: non-opioid treatment for chronic pain (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Prescription pain medications: know the options, get the facts (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)