by Jackie Dover
Get Your Ounce of Prevention
We all know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, meaning it is easier to prevent something from happening than it is to treat and fix the problem after the fact. That is very true about many things, especially ourselves. Having tests done or getting screenings for illness and disease can help catch things early so the treatment and outcomes are more positive.
Medicare has placed an emphasis on preventive services, this in the end saves Medicare money and helps beneficiaries catch issues earlier and remain healthier. Many of the Medicare preventive services are free, check with your doctor to see which ones you need. Some services are available to everyone; some are covered only if you have certain risk factors.
The first preventive service you get as a Medicare beneficiary is the Welcome to Medicare “Wellness” visit within the first 12 months of being on Medicare. This visit can include a health risk assessment and go over your medical and family history, height, weight and blood pressure. They will determine if you are behind on any health screening and advise you on a schedule for them. Consider this your baseline or starting point of your Medicare health journey. When making the appointment you need to say you are scheduling your “welcome to Medicare wellness visit” so they can bill Medicare correctly. Medicare also covers an annual “Wellness” visit for those who have been on Medicare for over 12 months. This visit covers many of the same things in the New to Medicare visit. It makes sure you are on track and getting the tests and screenings needed.
Other preventive services that are available according to the Medicare.gov website include:
- COVID 19 vaccines
- Flu shots
- Hepatitis B shots
- Pneumococcal shots
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings
- Alcohol misuse screenings & counseling
- Blood-based biomarker tests
- Bone mass measurements
- Cardiovascular disease screenings
- Cardiovascular disease (behavioral therapy)
- Cervical & vaginal cancer screenings
- Colorectal cancer screenings
- Counseling to prevent tobacco use & tobacco-caused disease
- Depression screenings
- Diabetes screenings
- Diabetes self-management training
- Glaucoma screenings
- Hepatitis B shots
- Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection screenings
- Hepatitis C screening tests
- HIV screenings
- Lung cancer screenings
- Mammograms (screening)
- Medical nutrition therapy services
- Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program
- Obesity behavioral therapy
- One-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit
- Prostate cancer screenings
- Sexually transmitted infections screenings & counseling
Getting a few tests and screenings throughout the year could make the difference in preventing or catching an illness or disease early. So please see your doctor and get the screenings recommended to get your ounce of prevention.
If you would like more information on Medicare’s Preventive services or other Medicare information, please call Aging Matters, 1-800-392-8771, because, Aging Matters.