NASW Practice Snapshot:
Medicare Preventive Benefits — Promoting Healthier Seniors
Office of Social Work Specialty Practice
The risk of disease and disability may increase with advanced age,
but poor health is not necessarily an inevitable consequence of aging.
Practicing healthy living and protecting health through early disease
detection are just part of promoting quality of life in later years.
Increased physical activity, a balanced diet, and a healthy lifestyle
can bring benefits at any age, including a reduced risk for chronic
disease and mental illness.
Chronic diseases take a major health and economic toll on older
adults due to associated long-term illness, diminished quality of
life, and greatly increased health care costs. Many illnesses and
disabilities related with chronic disease are avoidable through prevention.
Key aspects of prevention include practicing a healthy lifestyle,
and early detection and screening for conditions such as cancer,
diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression.
Medicare beneficiaries have preventive benefits designed to provide
older Americans with better care and a higher quality of life. Medicare
already covers some preventative services such as vaccinations and
breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer screenings. As
of January 1, 2005 , new Medicare enrollees can take advantage of
three additional preventative benefits under Part B:
A One-Time “Welcome to Medicare” Physical Exam
Medicare will cover a one-time “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam
within the first six months after a beneficiary has enrolled in Part
B. The physical exam is aimed at providing education and counseling
about the preventative services that may be needed.
The beneficiary pays a 20 percent co-payment after meeting the Part
B deductible.
Cardiovascular Screening
Medicare covers cardiovascular screening blood tests for early detection
or to identify a high risk for developing heart disease.
Diabetes Screening
Medicare covers diabetes screening to test blood sugar levels to
find out if beneficiaries have diabetes or to identify a high risk
for developing diabetes.
These services provide older adults with more prevention-focused
benefits than ever before. The services are key features of the Medicare
Modernization Act (MMA), signed into law in December 2003. For more
information about these important preventative services and to determine
who is eligible to qualify, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Information is also available at www.medicare.gov on
the Internet.
NASW, March 2005
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