Many Medicare Beneficiaries With Mental Health Conditions Face Cost Barriers

Mental health is an important part of overall health, yet many Medicare beneficiaries with depression and anxiety face challenges affording needed care. Using nationally representative data, this report examines the prevalence of diagnosed and probable but undiagnosed depression and anxiety among people with Medicare. It also analyzes out-of-pocket spending, cost-related barriers to care, and policy options to address affordability challenges for this population. Read the full report.

Key Takeaways:

• Nearly one in three people with traditional Medicare (32 percent) —almost 10 million individuals—were diagnosed with or reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, or both in 2021–22.
•  Of this group, 84 percent were diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety by a health care professional; 16 percent were not diagnosed but screened positive for symptoms (“probable” conditions).
• Subgroups of Medicare beneficiaries who were more likely to have diagnosed or probable conditions include those under age 65 (59 percent), in fair/poor health (57 percent), and dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (55 percent).
• Medicare beneficiaries with diagnosed or probable depression/anxiety spent $4,203 out of pocket annually for health care services and prescription drugs vs. $3,058 among those without these conditions.
  
• Medicare beneficiaries with diagnosed or probable depression and/or anxiety were more than twice as likely to have cost-related problems getting care than those without these conditions (14 percent vs. 6 percent). 
• Medicare beneficiaries with probable but undiagnosed depression and/or anxiety were twice as likely to face cost-related barriers than those with a diagnosis (24 percent vs. 12 percent).

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