Medicare and preventive care
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Have you seen your doctor since transitioning to Medicare? If you haven’t had your annual wellness visit yet this year, now’s the time to do it. With Medicare, many preventive care services are covered at 100 percent.
What is preventive care for Medicare?
Preventive care is the medical care you receive to prevent future disease and illness. During your annual wellness visit, your primary care provider (PCP) will ask questions about your health and lifestyle, as well as make sure you have all the vaccines and screenings you need to be healthy.
If you’re searching for a PCP, you can see any Medicare-accepting provider. Find one on Medicare.gov.
Why is preventive care after age 65 important?
While preventive care is important at any age, your risk for certain conditions increases as you get older. Staying on top of your preventive care can help your doctor catch an illness or condition in the early stages when it may be easier and less costly to treat.
Preventive care does not look the same for everyone. Based on your gender, family history and lifestyle, you may be more at risk for certain conditions than others. Once you transition to Medicare, your provider may suggest specific screenings based on your current health and risk factors.
If you’ve just transitioned to Medicare, or will be soon, it’s important to know what preventive care is covered by Medicare and how often you can see your provider for a wellness exam.
Thinking about changing your Medicare plan?
If you are considering your Medicare options, start with our free Medicare Supplement Coverage Guide to learn about the different parts of Medicare and find out which plan would best fit your needs.
Medicare preventive exams
Medicare, sometimes called Original Medicare, is a government-sponsored health insurance plan for people age 65 and older (as well as those with certain disabilities). You are eligible to enroll for Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period, which is the three months leading up to your 65th birthday, your birthday month and the three months after turning 65.
Welcome to Medicare exam
When you first enroll in Medicare, you’ll be eligible for a one-time, no-cost preventive exam known as the “Welcome to Medicare” exam. During this exam, your provider will:
- Review your medical history.
- Take basic body measurements like your height, weight and blood pressure.
- Check your vision.
- Talk to you about your risk factors and other important topics.
Your provider will use this visit to create a personal wellness plan that outlines what preventive services you will need going forward.
Annual wellness visit
After you’ve been enrolled in Part B for 12 months, you will be eligible for an annual wellness visit. Your provider will follow the wellness plan created from your “Welcome to Medicare” exam and adjust your plan to reflect any new conditions or risk factors you have.
Medicare covers a wellness exam every 12 months and you don’t need a “Welcome to Medicare” exam before you go to your first annual wellness visit.
Preventive care covered by Medicare
When you have Original Medicare with Medicare Supplement through a private health insurance company like Wellmark, these preventive services are covered:
- Alcohol misuse screening and counseling
- Bone mass measurement
- Cardiovascular disease screenings
- Cancer screenings, such as colonoscopies, mammograms and pap smears
- Diabetes screens, self-management training and prevention programming
- Hepatitis and HIV screenings
- Weight and nutrition counseling
- Vaccines
Even if you’re in good health, you should still see your primary care provider once per year for a wellness exam. If you’re not sure you’re up to date on your preventive care, this checklist can help. Schedule your “Welcome to Medicare” or annual wellness visit today.