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Issue #13
September 6, 2026
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Weekly TMS Pulse
Real Stories,
Real Relief.
Stories + Heart · Science + Access · Every week.
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Your gift helps a patient get to TMS therapy.
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📢 FACTMS in the News
Free Webinar
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September 29, 2026
12 pm PT · 2 pm CT · 3 pm ET
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TMS and Insurance: Will They or Won’t They Pay?
Coverage policies can be complex, and may depend on your particular insurance plan, diagnosis, previous treatments, and whether certain requirements are met before starting TMS. Understanding what your insurance will, or won’t, pay for ahead of time can help you avoid costly surprises and make a better-informed decision about treatment.
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Speakers
Randy I. Pardell, MD, DLFAPA, FCTMSS
Sam Huber, MD, MS, FCTMSS, DipABLM
Carlene MacMillan, MD, FCTMSS, DFAACP
Moderator
Ian A. Cook, MD, DLFAPA, FCTMSS, DNBPAS
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The Heart
Patient Stories & Voices This Week
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Patient Story
Depression
Feeling Like Herself Again
Ruth Rodriguez had lived with depression since her late 20s. She tried one medication after another, but nothing really worked. As a mom of two young kids and a busy clinical researcher, she was stretched thin. After a friend had a good experience with TMS, her doctor referred her to Boston Medical Center’s TMS Clinic. She went for short daily sessions, about ten minutes each, over two months. Around two weeks in, she noticed she was handling hard moments differently. Six months later, she calls it life-changing, and has the focus to study for her medical board exams.
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“I started to notice how I was reacting differently to situations.”
– Ruth Rodriguez
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Why it matters
Depression can wear down even the strongest routines, and medication does not work for everyone. TMS is FDA-cleared for depression that has not responded to medication, it is drug-free, and many people notice a shift within the first couple of weeks. If other treatments haven’t worked for you, it’s worth sharing Ruth’s story with your doctor.
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Boston Medical Center · Patient story · 2025
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Awareness & Access
Making TMS Known & Accessible
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Good to Know
Coverage
Yes, Medicaid Can Cover TMS
Cost should not be the reason someone skips care. A growing number of states now cover TMS through Medicaid for major depression when other treatments have not worked. States with confirmed coverage include CA, NY, and WA. Rules vary by state, but plans usually want a diagnosis of major depressive disorder and a record of trying antidepressants first. Where it is covered, Medicaid often pays for the full course with little or no cost to you. If you have Medicaid, ask your clinic whether TMS is covered where you live.
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Why it matters
For people on Medicaid, coverage can be the difference between getting care and going without. Ask your clinic or plan what your state requires and whether prior approval is needed before you start.
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Medicaid.gov · Coverage varies by state
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Wondering where to start? The Clinical TMS Society keeps a searchable map of TMS clinics near you.
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The Head
What the Evidence Says This Week
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Research
Women’s Health
Brain Stimulation Aims at Women’s Health
For years, women’s health was left out of brain stimulation research. That is starting to change, reports Science. New trials are testing whether TMS and an at-home method called tDCS can ease depression during and after pregnancy, along with period and endometriosis pain. At Mount Sinai, one team is testing a fast 5-day TMS course in about 200 women who recently gave birth, since new parents cannot always wait weeks for medication to work.
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Fast Course
5 Days
a full accelerated TMS course, done in about a week
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Postpartum Trial
~200
women recently postpartum enrolled at Mount Sinai
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One honest note: most of this work is early. These are trials in progress, not approved treatments for these uses, and results so far are mixed. Experts say the promise is real, but further studies are needed to support that TMS is safe during pregnancy and postpartum.
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Why it matters
Pregnant and new parents often worry about taking medication, and many conditions tied to women’s health have few good options. A drug-free treatment built around women’s bodies could fill a real gap. It is early, but the research is finally being done.
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Science · News feature · 3 Sept 2026
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From FACTMS
Sometimes the Hardest Part Is Getting There
Insurance can cover TMS, and a patient can still miss it. Treatment means visits several days a week for weeks, and the barrier is rarely the treatment itself. It is the gas, the parking, the hotel nights, the childcare, the days off work. The FACTMS Patient Assistance Fund helps close that gap with grants of up to $500 for travel, room and board, and childcare. Clinics apply for their patients, so no family loses care over the cost of getting there.
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However you connect with TMS, there is a way to take the next step.
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📩 Know someone who could use this? Forward it to them.
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Editorial Note
This newsletter is drafted with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the FACTMS editorial team. All sources are verified and linked. We take accuracy seriously, if something doesn’t look right, please let us know at info@factms.org.
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Foundation for the Advancement of Clinical TMS
Our mission: to advance awareness, advocacy, and access to TMS as a life-enhancing treatment worldwide.
factms.org
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