Medicare Part B - Medical Coverage

There are two kinds of Part B covered services:

  • Medically-necessary services - services or supplies that are needed to diagnose or treat your medical condition and that meet accepted standards of medical practice.
  • Preventive services - Health care to prevent illness or detect it at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to work best. Examples include pap tests, flu shots, and colorectal cancer screenings.

    • A list of common services covered under Medicare Part B (both medically-necessary and preventive) is available in the annual Medicare and You handbook.

    Costs for Part B services depend on whether you have Original Medicare or are in a Medicare Health Plan. If you choose to enroll in Part B, you pay a monthly premium and an annual deductible. If you have limited income and resources, there may be help available for Part B expenses.

    If the Part B deductible applies, you must pay all costs until you meet the yearly Part B deductible before Medicare begins to pay its share. After your deductible is met, you typically pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount of the service.

    Visit www.MyMedicare.gov to view the current Medicare and You handbook. You can also sign up to receive future handbooks electronically.
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