It is not always easy to figure out what Medicare covers. However, when it comes to Medicare Preventive Services, there are some very helpful and easy to navigate resources. One of the best resources is the guidebook, Medicare Coverage: Preventive Care, published by the Medicare Rights Center – Medicare Interactive.org. This booklet makes learning about what Medicare will pay for when it comes to preventive care, and how much they will pay, simple.
The booklet is organized alphabetically by procedure, and describes all the preventive services that Medicare covers. And, Medicare covers a lot of preventive services, from mammograms, pap smears and colonoscopies to flu shots and smoking cessation counseling. Next to each procedure is a description of the criteria for coverage. In some cases, you need to be over a certain age to qualify for service or have certain risk factors identified by your doctor for Medicare to cover the service. The guidebook also indicates how much Medicare will cover, whether it’s the who cost or a percentage of the cost. Having this guide at your fingertips should make researching the coverage of specific preventive services easy. You won’t go into your next doctor’s appointment wondering if or how much you will need to spend.
