What is Medicare Part B?
Medicare Part B is medical insurance. It helps pay for doctor visits and medical care you receive as an outpatient. You are an outpatient when you receive care in a hospital or clinic and are not admitted for an inpatient stay. Part B also covers most doctor services you receive as a hospital inpatient. Other hospital services are covered under Part A.
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What's covered under Medicare Part B?
What's not covered under Medicare Part B?
Medicare Part B does not help with the cost of:
- Dental, vision or hearing care except in very limited situations.
- Care received outside the United States except in very limited situations.
- Custodial care such as help with eating, bathing or dressing.
What doctors or health professionals can you see?
You can see any qualified provider in the United States who accepts Medicare assignment Medicare assignment refers to the Medicare-approved amount for payment in full for a medical service. Doctors can choose to accept assignment or not. If they do not accept assignment, then they may charge more than the Medicare-approved amount for a service. This means you may pay more. and who is accepting new patients. You can receive care in any state or region. Original Medicare Part B offers the same benefits throughout the United States.
What are the coverage limits with Medicare Part B?
Medicare Part B helps pay for any medically necessary care to treat an illness or condition. However it limits coverage for a few services. For example, occupational therapy and speech therapy are covered for a limited number of sessions. Also, some preventive services are covered only at certain times. For example, Part B covers only one flu shot each year.
What are preventive services?
Preventive services are screenings and tests that help find health problems early so they can be treated. Some services, like flu shots and health education, can help prevent health problems.
Medicare Part B covers these preventive services:
- Alcohol misuse counseling
- Bone mass measurement (bone density)
- Breast cancer screening (mammogram)
- Cardiovascular disease (behavioral therapy)
- Cardiovascular screening
- Cervical and vaginal cancer screening
- Colorectal cancer screening
- Depression screening
- Diabetes screening
- Diabetes self-management training
- Flu shot
- Glaucoma test
- Hepatitis B shot
- HIV screening
- Medical nutrition therapy services
- Obesity screening and counseling
- Pneumococcal shot
- Prostate cancer screening
- Sexually transmitted infections screening and counseling
- Tobacco use cessation counseling
- “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit
- Yearly “Wellness” visit
