Preventive Care

Preventive care can help you stay healthy and is covered by your plan.

It may seem unnecessary to go to the doctor when you’re not sick, but even if you’re healthy and feeling good, it’s important to stay on top of your wellbeing.

Preventive care such as annual checkups, cancer screenings and vaccinations can help you stay healthier, and as a result, may even lower your medical costs. And best of all, preventive care is covered by Medicare when you see a participating or in-network provider.*

Medicare covers several types of preventive services:

“Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit

When you’re new to Medicare, you can receive a Welcome to Medicare visit, a one-time appointment to check your general health and help prevent disease. It’s covered within the first 12 months of enrolling in Medicare Part B (medical coverage).

During your Welcome to Medicare visit, your doctor should review your medical and social history and check your height, weight, blood pressure and vision. Your doctor may also talk to you about:

Cancer screenings, flu and pneumonia shots, and referrals for other care if needed
Your potential risk for depression and your level of safety
Creating advance directives
Creating a checklist or written plan letting you know which other preventive care you need

Keep in mind that this isn’t a full physical exam. Be sure to bring your medical and immunization records, your family health history and a list of your prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and supplements.

Yearly wellness visit

Once you’ve been enrolled in Medicare for at least a year, you can have a yearly wellness visit with your primary care doctor. This is not a full physical exam, but a visit in which your doctor will check your height, weight and blood pressure and develop a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy. Your doctor may also:

Review your family and medical history
Screen for cognitive issues and depression
Create a list of risk factors and treatment options for you
Update your screening schedule for preventive services
Talk to you about advance care planning

If your doctor sees signs of cognitive impairment, Medicare covers a separate visit to do a more thorough evaluation and check for conditions like dementia, depression, anxiety or delirium.

Preventive and screening services

Preventive care can help identify problems when they’re more treatable or before they become more serious. Talk to your doctor about preventive services and tests you may need, and how often you need them to stay healthy.

In addition to the Welcome to Medicare and yearly wellness visit, Medicare covers many preventive services. These are some of the most common:

Bone density tests
Colon cancer screenings
Depression screenings
Diabetes screenings
Heart disease screenings
Lung cancer screenings
Mammograms
Pap smears
Prostate cancer screenings
Vaccines, including Covid-19, flu, pneumonia and hepatitis B

For a complete list or to find out if your test or service is covered, visit medicare.gov.

More resources

*You pay nothing when you receive the service from a participating provider and meet Medicare’s eligibility requirements for the service. During a preventive care visit, your doctor may perform tests or services that aren’t covered under the preventive benefits, and you may have to pay coinsurance and the Part B deductible may apply.