Does Medicare cover aquatic therapy?

Your doctor may recommend aquatic therapy if you have musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, or other disorders. It is conducted in a (usually heated) therapy pool.

But does Medicare cover aquatic therapy? Will you have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for the sessions? We’ll answer these questions and more your Medicare health insurance coverage below.

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Does Medicare cover aquatic therapy?

Medicare Part B will cover aquatic therapy as a type of physical therapy as long as it is considered medically necessary.

Medicare Advantage plans must be the same as or better than original Medicare, so they will most likely cover aquatic therapy as well, but you should contact your policyholder for details.

What other physical therapies does Medicare cover?

Medicare Part B will cover any outpatient therapy services that are medically necessary. While Medicare used to limit the number of services you could receive, this is no longer the case. You can attend as many of these sessions as needed.

Medicare Advantage plans will also cover medically necessary outpatient physical therapies. Your plan provider will have more details regarding your specific policy.

You may seek out services from physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists, as well as doctors and other healthcare providers who offer these services. However, the healthcare provider and their facility must accept Medicare.

You may still face out-of-pocket expenses, such as premiums, deductible ($203 as of 2021), and copayment or coinsurance. If you have a Medigap plan, you may be able to get help paying for these.

The Bottom Line

Medicare Part B will cover outpatient aquatic therapy, along with other types of physical therapy as a continued treatment, as long as they are considered medically necessary. There are no longer any limits to how many sessions you can complete.

Medicare Advantage plans will also cover outpatient physical therapies, but you should contact your individual policyholder to ask for details.

If you need help finding affordable health insurance quotes in your area, use our free quote comparison tool below by entering your ZIP code. Which health insurance company and care plan is right for you? Find out now.