8 Preventive Screenings Medicare Will Cover

Quick summary

Medicare isn't very good at covering preventive medicine. For example, it doesn't cover regular annual physical examinations, and it doesn't cover most laboratory tests unless they've been ordered by a doctor trying to diagnose or treat a patient's specific complaint. But Medicare Part B will cover a number of important screening tests -- usually paying 100 percent of the cost -- if your parent meets certain conditions. If you know what these tests are, you can make sure your parent asks her doctor to order the test whenever it's appropriate.

1. An "initial wellness exam" when your parent first enrolls in Medicare

Medicare Part B doesn't cover regular annual physical exams. The unfortunate result is that some preventable conditions aren't spotted in time, and some aren't diagnosed until they've become serious. Despite this general blind spot in Medicare, Part B does cover one general physical exam within six months of the date your parent first enrolls. Called an initial wellness exam, it's performed by her own doctor. Your parent should notify her doctor's office when she first enrolls in Medicare Part B and schedule this exam.

2. Colorectal cancer screening

Colorectal cancer is a deadly disease that becomes more common as people age. Screening for this cancer is done through several tests, which can be time-consuming and expensive. As a result, they aren't regularly scheduled and must be specially ordered by your parent's doctor. Medicare Part B will pay for a screening test if your parent's doctor orders it based on medically accepted risk factors. Even without any specific risk factors, most doctors will order a screening -- and Medicare will pay for it -- about every five years for people over 65.

3. A pelvic exam and Pap smear for your mother

Medicare Part B covers a pelvic exam and Pap smear for your mother once every three years. If she has any personal or family medical history that places her at higher risk for cervical or pelvic disease, Medicare will cover the exam every year if your mother's doctor provides Medicare with the reason (meaning the risk factor) when submitting the bill to Medicare. Your mother doesn't need to do anything except remind the doctor to schedule the exam for her. Medicare pays the full amount of this exam even if your mother hasn't yet met her Medicare Part B yearly deductible.

4. Yearly mammograms for your mother

Your mother is entitled to a yearly mammogram covered by Medicare Part B. Medicare pays the full amount even if your mother hasn't yet paid her yearly Part B deductible. If she has the mammogram at a clinic or facility without a doctor's prescription, she has to make sure that the facility participates in Medicare so that Medicare will pay and the facility will accept Medicare's payment as payment in full.

5. A bone density test for your mother

Women are at much greater risk than men for osteoporosis, a decrease in bone mass that makes the bones fragile and easily broken. The likelihood that your mother will develop the disease increases with her age. If she has been identified by her doctor as being at high risk for osteoporosis, Medicare Part B will pay for a bone density test for her.

6. Yearly prostate cancer tests for your father

Prostate cancer is a deadly disease that may exhibit no physical symptoms in its early stages. Luckily, initial screening tests for prostate cancer are simple and inexpensive. Medicare Part B will pay for your father to have an annual screening, as well as any follow-up tests if medically indicated.

7. Diabetes screening as needed

If your parent's doctor says she's at risk for diabetes -- because of being overweight, having a family history of diabetes, or other risk factors -- Medicare Part B will pay for a regular screening test for the disease.

8. Yearly glaucoma tests

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that can cause blindness. There are good screening tests to spot glaucoma, and Medicare Part B pays for one such test each year.