- 21297 Foothill Blvd, Ste 203 Hayward, CA 94541 (by appointment only)
- (415) 636-9700
- hello@exxceedwellness.com
Yes. UnitedHealthcare covers TMS as medically necessary for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, with prior authorization. Coverage follows UnitedHealthcare’s medical policy for transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by Nefretiri Abat, PMHNP-BC
UnitedHealthcare requires prior authorization before treatment. Your provider documents your diagnosis and antidepressant history and submits the request. Once approved, coverage generally holds for the acute course, about 30 sessions over roughly six weeks.
Once TMS is authorized and you see an in-network provider, you pay your usual specialist cost-sharing, often $0 to $60 per session after your deductible. For the full breakdown, see our TMS cost guide.
UnitedHealthcare administers behavioral health through Optum, and its TMS criteria are stricter than most carriers in one specific way: where Aetna, Cigna, and Medicare generally look for two adequate antidepressant trials, UnitedHealthcare has required three failed medication trials. If you are comparing plans or wondering why a request that would pass elsewhere stalled here, that is usually the reason.
Everything else follows the familiar pattern: a major depressive disorder diagnosis, trials documented with drug, dose, duration, and outcome, a baseline symptom measure, and screening for implanted ferromagnetic material near the head or a seizure history.
A typical authorized course is up to 30 treatment sessions followed by 6 tapering sessions, which lands at the familiar 36 total. Re-treatment is handled as its own request. UnitedHealthcare has looked for re-treatment to begin no sooner than about 6 months after the most recent course, with a relapse despite ongoing treatment, and evidence that the earlier course produced at least 50% improvement on a standardized rating scale.
That 50% threshold is the reason measured scores matter so much. A chart that says a patient “did well” does not establish it; a PHQ-9 falling from 22 to 9 does. More detail in how many TMS sessions insurance approves and maintenance and re-treatment coverage.
Yes. UnitedHealthcare is one of the plans we work with for TMS. We verify your benefits, document your history, and handle the prior authorization. Contact us to check your UnitedHealthcare coverage, or learn about our TMS program.
Yes, for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, with prior authorization and documented failed antidepressant trials.
Yes. Your provider submits the diagnosis, antidepressant history, and treatment plan for approval before treatment begins.
UnitedHealthcare has required three failed medication trials, where most other carriers require two. Each trial should be documented with the drug, dose, duration, and outcome.
Re-treatment is generally considered no sooner than about six months after the most recent course, when symptoms have relapsed despite ongoing treatment and the earlier course produced at least 50% improvement on a standardized rating scale.
Coverage focuses on treatment-resistant depression. Other uses are handled case by case and may not be covered. Ask before you start.
Educational information only, not medical or financial advice. Coverage and criteria for TMS vary by plan and can change. TMS is FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder and, as an add-on, for OCD. Confirm your eligibility and benefits with a qualified clinician and UnitedHealthcare.
We provide TMS in person at our Hayward, CA psychiatric clinic.
Care at Exxceed Wellness — Hayward, CA & California telehealth. We deliver FDA-cleared TMS on the Magstim Horizon 3.0 — for treatment-resistant depression, adult OCD, and adolescents 15–21 (depression, as an add-on to medication). Learn more ›, schedule a consultation, or call (415) 636-9700.
Comments are closed