Welcome to Medicare visit allows for, vaccines, tests, and screenings along with wellness programs, counseling, and education

"Welcome To Medicare"

Get the Most Out of Medicare: Preventative Services

Don’t wait until the start of the new year to make changes to your health and lifestyle routines! Now is the time to get the most of your Medicare coverage. Whether you receive benefits under Original Medicare, through a Medicare Advantage Plan, or from a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan, Medicare offers tons of preventative services, including a “Welcome to Medicare” visit, that can help keep you healthy.

Preventative services include your initial “Welcome to Medicare” visit, vaccines, tests, and screenings along with wellness programs, counseling, and education on topics such as nutrition and stress management. Below are just some of the preventative services you can take advantage of to get the most out of  Medicare.

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
• Alcohol Misuse Screening and Counseling
• Bone Mass Measurements
• Breast Cancer Screening (Mammograms)
• Cardiovascular Disease Screening and Behavioral Therapy
• Cervical and Vaginal Cancer Screening
• Colorectal Cancer Screening
• Depression Screening
• Diabetes Screening and Self-Management
• Glaucoma Tests
• Hepatitis C Screening Test
• HIV Screening
• Lung Cancer Screening
• Medical Nutritional Therapy
• Obesity Screening and Counseling
• Prostate Cancer Screening
• Sexually Transmitted Infections Screening
• Tobacco Use Cessation Counseling
• Vaccines
• “Welcome to Medicare” Preventative Visit
• Yearly “Wellness” Visit

While not all of these may apply to everyone, the last two – your “Welcome to Medicare” visit and annual wellness visit – are preventative services that everyone on Medicare should make sure they take full advantage of.

Your “Welcome to Medicare” Preventative Visit, done within the first 12 months you have Medicare Part B, is a fantastic way to get everything updated in your medical charts. During your visit, your primary care doctor will update your medical and social history; check your height, weight, and blood pressure; calculate your BMI; conduct a basic vision test; review your potential risk for depression; and provide you with advice on education, counseling, and additionally preventative services you may need.

After you have been on Medicare Part B for longer than 12 months you can get your annual “Wellness” visit to make sure that you are on track for your personalized preventative services plan. These visits will include a health risk assessment; review of family and medical history; updated routine measurements; updated prescription list; and a personalized screening schedule for appropriate preventative services. There are so many ways to get the most out of your Medicare for more information regarding how to get the most out of Medicare and learning more about preventative services call 1-800-633-4427. You can also register at MyMedicare.gov to get direct access to your preventative services and health information 24/7.

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