Yes, Medicare covers a selection of preventive care under Medicare Part B. These services include specific screenings, shots, and the yearly wellness visit. Your doctor can help you stay on track with your regular screenings as often as they are covered, setting a schedule for the year ahead. Visit the Medicare website to learn more about each covered preventive care service.
Medicare Part B Coverage
Medicare Part B covers medically necessary and preventive care services. Many of these preventive and screening services are covered with minimal cost for the beneficiary, which can greatly help encourage wellness and health maintenance. Regular screenings help your doctor and other providers detect health concerns before they become too worrisome, so they are a good investment for Medicare.
Under Part B, your expenses include the annual deductible, then your copayment. Not all preventive services will be covered the same way, so it’s a good idea to check with your provider or Medicare before you receive the service so you know what costs to expect.
Covered Screenings
Medicare covers the following preventive screenings:
- abdominal aortic aneurysm screening,
- alcohol misuse screening,
- bone mass measurements,
- cardiovascular disease screenings,
- cervical and vaginal cancer screenings,
- colorectal cancer screenings and related tests,
- depression screenings,
- diabetes screenings,
- Hepatitis B Virus infection screening,
- Hepatitis C screening tests,
- HIV screening,
- lung cancer screening,
- mammograms,
- obesity screenings,
- prostate cancer screenings, and
- sexually transmitted infections screenings.
Not all of these screenings will be covered annually, so refer to your doctor and the Medicare website to ensure you receive them when they are covered. If your doctor decides one of these tests is diagnostic instead of preventive and outside the normal schedule, Medicare may process the claim differently. You can contact a benefits customer service representative to understand this in more detail.
Immunizations
Regular shots help your immune system defend against the current season’s strain of viruses. Medicare covers COVID-19 vaccines, flu shots, Hepatitis B shots, and pneumococcal shots under preventive care services.
Counseling
Many preventive screenings come with counseling as necessary. Counseling is covered alongside the alcohol misuse screening, obesity screening, and sexually transmitted infections screenings. Medicare also covers diabetes self-management training and nutrition therapy services under preventive care.
Yearly Wellness Visit
Every 12 months you have Medicare Part B, you are covered for a Wellness visit. During the visit, your doctor will review your medical and family history; review your current providers and prescriptions; measure your height, weight, blood pressure, and other vitals; provide personalized health advice; list risk factors and treatment options you may want to consider; set a screening schedule for preventive services you should get in the next 12 months; and assist with advance care planning, if you are interested.
