Promoting Medicare's Preventive Benefits
A June 2011 report on use of preventive services by Medicare beneficiaries shows that more people with traditional Medicare are using services, like the annual wellness visit, that are now covered at no cost under the Affordable Care Act.
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. The new law provides important new benefits for the more than 47 million people with Medicare – seniors and people with disabilities. One of the major goals of the Affordable Care Act is to help people stay healthy by giving them the tools they need to take charge of their own health, fostering a culture of prevention that encourages patients to partner with their physicians and other caregivers so they can pursue as healthy and active a life as possible.
Beginning January 1, 2011, the Affordable Care Act eliminated Part B coinsurance and
deductibles for recommended preventive services, including many cancer screenings and key
immunizations. The law also added an important new service — an Annual Wellness Visit with
the doctor of their choice— at no cost to beneficiaries.
A report on the use of these preventive care benefits by Medicare beneficiaries is available using this link:
http://downloads.cms.gov/files/preventionreport.pdf
More information about Medicare's coverage of preventive tests and screenings is available on the Share the News...Share the Health! web site.
