Medicare therapist in Michigan: using Medicare Part B for online therapy and counseling
What Medicare Part B covers for therapy with a marriage and family therapist, what it costs, the current telehealth rules and where couples sessions fit.
Key takeaways
- Effective January 1, 2024, marriage and family therapists can bill Medicare Part B independently.
- After the yearly Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount if your provider accepts assignment.
- Medicare covers telehealth from anywhere in the U.S. through December 31, 2027, and an in-person visit requirement for mental health telehealth applies after that date.
- Medicare covers family counseling when the main purpose is to help with your treatment; couples counseling is not listed as a covered service.
- Medicare Advantage plans set their own networks, costs and rules, and may offer extra mental health benefits.
For years, people on Medicare who wanted help from a marriage and family therapist heard the same frustrating answer: Medicare will not pay for that kind of provider. That changed recently. If you are on Medicare in Michigan, here is what Part B now covers, what it costs, how the telehealth rules work and where couples sessions fit.
Can I use Medicare for sessions with Iryna?
Yes. Sessions with Iryna Morhunova-Sutton, LLMFT, can be billed to Medicare through her group practice’s billing system. Your out-of-pocket share, and whether something like a family session qualifies, turns on which Medicare coverage you have and why the visit is happening. Those details are worth confirming up front.
Medicare now covers marriage and family therapists
According to CMS, effective January 1, 2024, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors can bill Medicare independently. Part B pays them for covered services at 75% of what a clinical psychologist is paid. Medicare.gov now lists marriage and family therapists among the providers who can deliver outpatient mental health care.
What Medicare Part B covers for outpatient mental health
Medicare’s mental health booklet (September 2026) lists outpatient services Part B helps pay for, including:
- Individual and group psychotherapy with doctors or certain other Medicare-enrolled licensed professionals, as state law allows.
- Family counseling, if the main purpose is to help with your treatment.
- One depression screening each year in a primary care setting.
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management.
What does therapy cost with Original Medicare?
In general, after you pay your yearly Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for visits to diagnose or treat your condition, if your provider accepts assignment. Accepting assignment means the provider agrees to take the Medicare-approved amount as full payment and not bill you more than the deductible and coinsurance. If you have other coverage, such as a supplement or Medicaid, your share may be different.
Does Medicare cover online therapy at home?
Right now, yes. Medicare.gov says that through December 31, 2027, Medicare covers telehealth services you can get from anywhere in the U.S., including outpatient psychotherapy, and that for most telehealth services you pay the same as you would in person.
There is a wrinkle to know about. CMS’s telehealth FAQ (updated February 2026) explains that federal law requires an in-person, non-telehealth visit within 6 months before the first mental health telehealth service, effective after December 31, 2027. CMS says people who begin mental health telehealth at home before January 1, 2028 will be considered established patients and will instead need at least one in-person visit every 12 months after that date. These rules have been extended several times and may change again. Because Iryna’s practice is online only, ask how the current rules apply to you when you reach out.
Medicare Advantage plans work differently
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan instead of Original Medicare, your plan sets its own network, copays and authorization rules. Medicare notes that these plans may offer extra benefits Original Medicare does not cover, such as certain types of mental health counseling, and may offer more telehealth benefits. Michigan examples include Medicare Advantage plans from Priority Health and BCN Advantage from Blue Care Network. Call the member number on your plan card to check.
Does Medicare cover couples or marriage counseling?
Couples or marriage counseling is not on Medicare’s list of covered outpatient mental health services. The closest benefit is family counseling, which Medicare covers when the main purpose is to help with your treatment. Imagine a retired husband in Bay City being treated for depression after a health scare: if his wife joins some sessions so the couple can support that treatment, those sessions may qualify. Sessions aimed only at improving the marriage, without a condition being treated, generally do not. Our guide to insurance and couples therapy explains why.
Therapy from your own living room
Iryna works by secure video only. Plan to be at home or elsewhere in Michigan for every appointment, which can make it easier to fit therapy around medical appointments, grandchildren and long winters at home.
Take the next step
If you are interested in individual support, couples therapy or family sessions, request an appointment and mention your Medicare coverage when you reach out, including any Medicare Advantage or supplement plan. Other plans are listed on the insurance overview.
Common questions
Does Medicare cover marriage counseling?
Not on its own. Marriage or couples counseling is not on Medicare's list of covered outpatient mental health services. Medicare does cover family counseling when the main purpose is to help with your treatment, so a spouse may join sessions that support treating your diagnosed condition. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer extra counseling benefits, so check your plan.
Does Medicare cover therapy with a marriage and family therapist?
Yes. CMS says that effective January 1, 2024, marriage and family therapists can bill Medicare independently, and Medicare.gov lists them among outpatient mental health providers. Sessions with Iryna can be billed to Medicare through her group practice's billing system. Your costs depend on your Medicare coverage.
How much does therapy cost with Medicare?
With Original Medicare, after you meet your yearly Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for each visit, if your provider accepts assignment. A supplement, Medicaid or a Medicare Advantage plan can change what you owe, so check your own coverage.
Does Medicare cover online therapy at home?
Yes, for now. Medicare covers telehealth from anywhere in the U.S., including home, through December 31, 2027. After that, CMS says an in-person visit requirement applies to mental health telehealth, with people who started before 2028 needing an in-person visit every 12 months. Rules may change, so ask when you reach out.