If your Part B coverage began
on or after Jan. 1, 2005,
Medicare will pay for a
physical exam within the first
six months you have Part B.
It’s a great way to stay current
with important health screenings
and immunizations and
to talk with your doctor about
your family history and how
to stay healthy.
Medicare now covers smokingcessation
counseling for beneficiaries
who have an illness
caused or complicated by
smoking, including heart
disease, cerebrovascular
disease, lung disease, weak
bones, blood clots and cataracts.
It also applies to beneficiaries
who take any of the many
medications whose effectiveness
is complicated by smoking
—including insulin and
medications for high blood
pressure, seizures, blood clots
and depression. Next year,
Medicare’s voluntary prescription
drug benefit will cover
smoking-cessation treatments
prescribed by your doctor.
For people at risk of developing
diabetes, Medicare covers up
to two blood sugar screening
tests a year. For those who
have diabetes, it also covers
glucose monitors, test strips
and lancets, as well as selfmanagement
training for
those at risk for diabetes
complications.
Once every five years Medicare
will pay for a cardiovascular
screening to check your
cholesterol and other blood
fat (lipid) levels. High levels of
these can increase your risk
for heart disease and stroke.
In May 2005, Medicare
expanded its coverage of
implantable defibrillators
to prevent sudden death in
people with heart disease.
Following a clinical study
published in Jan. 2005 in
the New England Journal
of Medicine, Medicare
announced it would expand
the number of eligible beneficiaries
by a third, to nearly
500,000—including patients
with heart failure and those
whose left ventricle is functioning
poorly. In the first year
alone, the move could potentially
save up to 2,500 lives.
