Preventative Services… What’s Covered?
By David S Edge
We get inquiries from clients many times a week with questions about what’s covered by Medicare. The list is long and very comprehensive. The catch…….some services are limited as to how many of something you can have and how often?
Preventative services are covered when your doctor decides
it’s necessary and the list is impressive.
You can check any test or medical service simply by visiting www.medicare.gov then select “Your Medicare Coverage.” A list will appear of basic services and these are the most common, but you can enter a topic or service in a search box and it will result in the specific service you are inquiring about. There is even a link to an educational video “Medicare & You: Medicare’s preventative benefits” you can watch.
Preventative services covered:
-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 -Depression screenings
-Diabetes screenings -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” visit
-Prostate cancer screenings -Sexually transmitted infections screening
-Flu shots -Hepatitis B shots
-Pneumococcal shots -Tobacco use cessation counseling
-Yearly “Wellness” visit
As you can see, this is quite the list of no-charge services covered by Medicare. So don’t sit at home and worry about a pain, lump, or some other malady. Get to your primary care physician and check it out!
And as always you can call us at American Retirement Advisors with your questions! We’re here to help!
