Wellness and Prevention Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries

Medicare beneficiaries, did you know that Medicare now covers a yearly wellness visit and many preventive services to help you stay healthy?
Preventive services include exams, shots, lab tests and screenings. They also include programs for health monitoring, and counseling and education to help you to take care of your own health.
Free or reduced-cost preventive services covered by Medicare Part B include “Welcome to Medicare” physical, the annual wellness exam, abdominal aortic aneurysm screening, cardiovascular screening blood test, diabetes screening tests, glaucoma screening, bone mass measurement, screening mammography, pap tests & pelvic examination, colorectal cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, diabetes monitoring and education, medical nutrition therapy, smoking cessation services, flu & H1N1 vaccination, pneumococcal vaccination, hepatitis B vaccination and HIV screening.
An annual wellness visit will help you to make sure that you are getting the care you need. Your healthcare provider will develop a personalized prevention plan based on your current health and risk factors. This visit includes:
• Review of medical and family history.
• A list of current providers and prescriptions.
• Height, weight, blood pressure, and other routine measurements.
• A screening schedule for appropriate preventative services.
• A list of risk factors and treatment options for you.
Take advantage of these Medicare benefits; there is no co-pay if you have Medicare Part B and if your doctor accepts assignment. If you get your health care coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan, call your plan for information on preventive services.
The annual wellness visit is a preventative wellness visit and is not a “routine physical checkup” that some seniors may receive every year from their physician.
Talk to your doctor to see if these benefits are right for you. To learn more about free annual wellness visit and preventive services covered by Medicare, go to www.medicare.gov/SharetheHealth or call your local SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) counselor at Cape May County Department of Aging, (609) 886-8138.
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a statewide program administered by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Aging and Community Services, with financial assistance through a grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Federal Medicare agency and supported by the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders.