Medicare Preventative Benefits

Medicare Part B covers many preventive services. These are the services that you receive to prevent illness and keep you healthy. With Original Medicare, you pay nothing when you see a provider who accepts Medicare. With a Medicare Advantage plan, you must see an in-network provider for the services that are covered with zero cost sharing. In most cases, plans are required to cover your care without charging deductibles, co-payments, or coinsurance.

The Welcome to Medicare preventive visit is a one-time appointment you can choose to receive during the first 12 months of your Part B enrollment. This is not a head to toe physical, but an attempt to create a personalized prevention plan.

The Annual Wellness Visit is a yearly appointment with your primary care provider to create or update a personalized prevention plan, which may help prevent illness based on your current health and risk factors.

Other Preventative Services include vaccinations and immunizations such as flu shots, pneumonia, hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccinations. The tetanus shot is covered if you have an incident and need the added protection, and the booster shot is generally covered by Part D.

Screening tests and labs for many services are also covered by Medicare Part B. These conditions include Hepatitis C, Diabetes, Glaucoma, Depression, Cardiovascular Disease and more.

Under certain circumstances, you may be charged for services you receive related to your preventive services. For example, during the preventive care visit, your provider discovers and needs to investigate or treat a new or existing problem. This type of care becomes diagnostic, meaning you are being treated for certain symptoms or risk factors. You could also be charged for an office visit if you meet with your provider before or after receiving your preventive care.

For more information, please contact the Senior LinkAge Line® at 1-800-333-2433. The Health Care Choices for Minnesotans on Medicare booklet also has excellent information on these services. That booklet can be viewed online at www.mnhealthcarechoices.com