Medicare Prevention Benefits

Preventing disease through maintaining a healthy lifestyle and early detection and treatment of illness can be accomplished with commitment from you and partnership with Medicare. For many years Medicare was criticized for providing treatment for illness but not coverage for prevention services. The Affordable Care Act expanded preventative services covered under Medicare. These services can help you maintain good health and identify problem areas early, so treatment options are available.

You have the tools for maintaining a healthy lifestyle: eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy body weight and don't smoke. Early detection for illnesses are provided through your Medicare benefits. Since not everyone uses the same Medicare coverage, you will need to consult with your Medicare provider to determine how often you can obtain screenings for various diseases and how much out of pocket cost there may be for you to pay. Many preventative benefits have no out of pocket costs.

Some of the prevention services available include Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening ; Alcohol misuse screening and counseling; Bone mass measurements; Breast cancer screening (mammograms); Cardiovascular disease screening; Cervical and vaginal cancer screening; Colorectal cancer screening; Depression screening;Diabetes screening and self-management training; Flu shots; Glaucoma testing; Hepatitis C screening; HIV screening; Lung cancer screening; Medical nutrition therapy; Obesity screening and diet counseling; Prostate cancer screening;Sexually transmitted infections screening and counseling;Pneumococcal, and Hepatitis B shots; Tobacco use cessation counseling; “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit; Yearly “Wellness” visit .

To determine the cost for a specific service, contact your Medicare provider. Information about eligibility, limitations and costs for preventative services is available on the Medicare website www.medicare.gov.