Understanding Medicare Part B Coverage for Preventive Services

Medicare Part B includes an extensive array of preventive services designed to catch health problems early and help beneficiaries maintain their independence and quality of life. Despite this, surveys consistently show that a majority of Medicare recipients underutilize these benefits — often because they don't know what's covered or don't understand the difference between various visit types.

The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is one of the most valuable and underused benefits in Medicare. Available once every 12 months at no cost to the beneficiary (when seeing a participating provider), the AWV includes a health risk assessment, personalized prevention plan, cognitive impairment detection, depression screening, and a review of all current medications. Importantly, the AWV is distinct from a traditional "Welcome to Medicare" physical, which is available only once in the first year of Part B enrollment.

Covered preventive screenings under Part B include: mammograms (annually for women 40+), colorectal cancer screenings (colonoscopies every 10 years or fecal occult blood tests annually), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, pap smears and pelvic exams, bone density scans for women at risk for osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease risk assessments, diabetes screenings for at-risk patients, and lung cancer screenings for long-term smokers aged 50–77.

Vaccinations covered at no cost under Part B include influenza (flu) shots, pneumococcal vaccines, and COVID-19 vaccines. Hepatitis B vaccines are also covered for medium-to-high-risk individuals.

At Family Medicine & Rehab, our front desk staff and clinical team can help you understand exactly what your Medicare plan covers and schedule the appropriate services. We accept Medicare assignment and work to ensure eligible patients access every benefit they have earned. Call (904) 771-1116 or visit us during our Monday–Friday hours to learn more.