Medicare Part B covers your “outpatient” services. Necessary medical services and equipment which you have been diagnosed with a condition (illness or injury) which needs to be treated. Also, preventive services, which are an assortment of screenings and medical services which are provided typically for no charge and are used for early detection of an illness or injury which has not been diagnosed.
Preventive Screenings provided by Medicare:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
- Alcohol misuse screenings & counseling
- Bone mass measurements (bone density)
- Cardiovascular disease screenings
- Cardiovascular disease (behavioral therapy)
- Cervical & vaginal cancer screening
- Colorectal cancer screenings
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- Multi-target stool DNA tests
- Screening barium enemas
- Screening colonoscopies
- Screening fecal occult blood tests
- Screening flexible sigmoidoscopies
- Depression screenings
- Diabetes screenings
- Diabetes self-management training
- Glaucoma tests
- Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection screening
- Hepatitis C screening test
- HIV screening
- Lung cancer screening
- Mammograms (screening)
- Nutrition therapy services
- Obesity screenings & counseling
- One-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit
- Prostate cancer screenings
- Sexually transmitted infections screening & counseling
- Shots:
- Flu shots
- Hepatitis B shots
- Pneumococcal shots
- Tobacco use cessation counseling
- Yearly “Wellness” visit
Many of these services are available every 24 month, although for certain diagnoses or conditions the services may be available annually. Ask your physician’s office, they should know when you are available for any of the preventive services.
Whether you have original Medicare by itself, or combined with a Medicare Supplement or even a Medicare Advantage plan, you will have access to these ‘preventive’ services on a regular basis.
Below are a couple links for more information regarding both Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage and Part D Rx plans.
With a Medicare Supplement plan you can see any doctor or clinic who accepts Medicare for any of these preventive services. If you have an Advantage plan, which are typically HMO style plans, you will need to contact your Primary Care doctor and they will set up the appointment or refer you to the appropriate provider for the preventive service required.
Take advantage of these services available to you. They are meant to be utilized to help detect unseen illnesses or complications, along with tracking current conditions.
Remember Medicare Part B has a $198 annual deductible. Then once the deductible is satisfied, usually after a couple doctor visits. Then Medicare pays 80% and you are responsible for the remaining 20% of the outpatient service.
I’m here to help, so please feel free to contact me anytime with questions.
