Medicare Preventive Benefits

Medicare was established July 30, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was created as part of the Social Security Amendments to provide health insurance to older adults. Medicare originally focused on providing coverage for acute hospital (Part A) and physician (Part B) services. Originally there was no plan to include coverage for preventive benefits, however as older adults now had coverage for acute health care it became clear that there was a need and an opportunity to prevent acute health conditions. As a result, Medicare was expanded in 2010 through the Affordable Care Act, to include extensive preventive benefits and eliminated co-pays for many screenings.

Preventive services can improve your health outcomes, by detecting problems early, determining the most effective treatments for you and preventing some diseases. Services include exams, shots, lab tests, and screenings. They also include programs for health monitoring, and counseling and education to help you take care of your own health.

One preventive benefit that was added to Medicare is the yearly wellness visit. Adding this benefit to Medicare, helps ensure that everyone on Medicare can see their health care provider every year to ensure health problems are detected early. Early detention and treatment provide improved outcomes for most diagnoses.

In addition to screening for medical conditions, preventive benefits also screen and provide programs to address other issues that are known to have negative impacts on health. Medicare preventive benefits cover depression screening; smoking cessation programs; behavioral therapy for obesity; COVID-19 vaccines, flu shots, and pneumococcal shots.

You pay nothing for most preventive services if you get the services from a health care provider who accepts Medicare assignment.

For more information about Medicare Preventive Benefits, contact your local CHOICES program at 800-994-9482.