Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and United Behavioral Health updated their TMS clinical policy to let psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) order, supervise, and administer TMS therapy — authority previously limited to psychiatrists. The change, effective March 17, 2026, applies across the 26 states and Washington, D.C. where nurse practitioners have full practice authority.
The policy expands access to NeuroStar and other TMS therapy among the payers' roughly 34.8 million commercial covered lives. It applies to PMHNPs practicing within their state advanced-practice registered-nurse scope in full-practice-authority states including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington.
Neuronetics highlighted the update as a meaningful step toward addressing psychiatrist shortages and reducing treatment wait times, especially in underserved areas. Behavioral Health Business covered the shift as putting TMS "back in the spotlight."
By broadening the pool of clinicians who can deliver TMS, the policy should help clinics serve more patients and open TMS in markets with few psychiatrists.
Source
Reporting based on coverage from GlobeNewswire. This article is editorial summary intended for general information; it is not medical advice.
