RESOURCES TO STAY HEALTHY
One important way to do that is by getting regular medical checkups. Depending on your age and health needs, these visits may include certain types of preventive and screening tests.
As a Medicare member, you may have already taken advantage of some of the new benefits provided under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These benefits include a “Welcome to Medicare”annual wellness visit at no cost to people who are new to the program.
What to expect during your “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit
Your doctor will
* Record and evaluate your medical and family history, current health conditions, and prescriptions.
* Check your blood pressure, vision, weight, and height to get a baseline for your care.
* Make sure you’re up-to-date with preventive screenings and services, such as cancer screenings and shots.
* Order further tests, depending on your general health and medical history.
The one-time annual wellness visit can give your health care provider a good picture of your overall health. During that time, he or she can also offer the education you may need to improve your health.
The ACA also makes a wide range of preventive and screening tests more available to patients by no longer requiring Medicare Part B co-insurance and deductibles payments.
Results of screenings can, for example, tell if you need to start medicines or change your diet to manage diabetes or high blood pressure.
No-cost preventive and screenings tests available under the ACA include following and some of these can be obtained at RX OASIS
* Flu shot: Medicare covers a shot once per flu season in the fall or winter.
* Depression screenings
* Diabetes screenings
* Diabetes self-management training
* Hepatitis B shots
* Pneumococcal shots
* Tobacco use cessation counseling
Other test include
* Bone mass measurement (also known as bone density test): Covered every 2 years.
* Cholesterol and other cardiovascular screening: Tests for cholesterol, lipid, and triglyceride levels are covered every 5 years.
* Colorectal cancer screening: Medicare covers colonoscopy tests once every 2 years for people at high risk; otherwise, once every 10 years.
* Diabetes screening: Up to two fasting blood glucose tests are covered each year.
* Mammogram: Screening mammograms are covered once every 12 months. Diagnostic mammograms are covered when medically necessary.
* Prostate cancer screening: Medicare covers a digital rectal exam once each year; prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests are covered once each year
* Alcohol misuse screenings & counseling
* Bone mass measurements (bone density)
* Cardiovascular disease screenings
* Cardiovascular disease (behavioral therapy)
* Cervical & vaginal cancer screening
* Colorectal cancer screenings
* Glaucoma tests
* Hepatitis C screening test
* HIV screening
* Lung cancer screening
* Mammograms (screening)
* Nutrition therapy services
* Obesity screenings & counseling
* One-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit
* Prostate cancer screenings
* Sexually transmitted infections screening & counseling
* Shots:
* Yearly “Wellness” visit
If a test identifies a health condition that needs medicines or another kind of treatment, you can learn more about your options with consumer summaries developed as part of Effective Health Care Program. Forty publications are available to consumers for free. They describe in plain English the benefits and risks of different treatments for various health conditions.
They do not replace your health care team’s recommendations. However, they give information on the pros and cons of specific treatment options that can help you decide the best approach for you. Many of the consumer summaries are also available in Spanish.
For example, the publication on medicines for Type 2 diabetes describes how diabetes medicines (generic and brand names) work to control blood sugar. Charts show benefits and possible side effects of different types of medicines taken alone or if two are taken together. The summary also includes price information for each generic and brand name drug for a one-month supply.
Another consumer summary helps patients decide how to choose the best type of medicine for high blood pressure. Treating high blood pressure is important, because it can lead to heart disease, heart attack, kidney disease, and stroke. The publication covers the benefits and possible risks of 3 types of medicines for high blood pressure and how they compare with each other. It also includes price information for each generic and brand name drug for a one-month supply.
