Medicare Preventive ServicesAs most of us already know, the best way to stay healthy is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes eating well, exercise, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Medicare can help you live healthier by paying all or part of preventive services that can detect certain diseases. Preventive services may include lab test, shots, screenings, and exams. There are also programs for counseling and education, as well as health monitoring.

Other services offered by Medicare include medical nutrition therapy for people with diabetes and kidney diseases, tobacco use cessation counseling, alcohol misuse screening and counseling, obesity screening, HIV screening, and depression screening.

The following services are covered under Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). The amount you pay varies by whether you have Original Medicare, Original Medicare along with a Medicare Supplement plan (Medigap) or a Medicare Advantage plan. If you have coverage through an Advantage plan, you should call your plan for more information.

In addition, there may be specific requirements for each type of test. Talk with your healthcare provider to find which services are right for you and how often you may need them.

  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
  • Alcohol misuse screening & counseling
  • Bone mass measurement (bone density)
  • Cardiovascular disease screenings
  • Cardiovascular disease (behavioral therapy)
  • Cervical & vaginal cancer screenings
  • Colorectal cancer screening
  • Depression screening
  • Diabetes screening
  • Diabetes self-management training
  • Glaucoma tests
  • 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 screening
  • Sexually transmitted infections screening & counseling
  • Shots:
    • Flu shots
    • Hepatitis B shots
    • Pneumococcal shots
  • Tobacco use cessation counseling
  • Yearly “wellness” visit

Notes

Please know that this is not a complete list of the preventive services that are offered by Medicare. To see if a test, screening, or service is covered, read or download the Guide to Medicare Preventive Service on the resources page of my website. You may also do a real-time search for a test, screening, or service at the Medicare.gov website.

MyMedicare.gov

You can register at MyMedicare.gov to get direct access to preventive health information. You can also track preventive services and get a two-year calendar of Medicare-covered screenings and tests that you are eligible for. You may also print out a report for your next doctor’s appointment.

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