Episode 12 Block 1 Published
Free Preventive Services: The Medicare Benefits Most People Never Use
Watch on YouTube Medicare Part B covers dozens of preventive services at zero cost. No deductible, no coinsurance, no copay. But most beneficiaries never use them. This episode catalogs every free preventive service, explains when you are eligible, and warns you about the billing trap that turns a free visit into a surprise bill. Watch the next video in the playlist to learn how Medigap insurance fills the gaps. Source: CMS Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Publication 100-02.
▶ Watch next: Medigap Explained: How Medicare Supplement Insurance Actually Works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-OQbVUZETY
📺 Full playlist: Medicare (US - 2026) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlIAFxS29648I08akd—o7PeoOBzdOb2S
Chapters
- 0:00 The Welcome Visit and Annual Wellness
- 2:05 Cancer Screenings Covered at Zero Cost
- 3:43 Cardiovascular and Diabetes Services
- 5:10 Vaccinations Covered at Zero Cost
- 6:39 Mental Health, Bone Density, and More
- 8:07 The Billing Trap and How to Avoid It
- 9:42 Building Your Personal Preventive Care Calendar
- 11:08 Quiz Time
Medicare Part B covers dozens of preventive services at zero cost to the beneficiary — no deductible, no coinsurance, no copay — but most beneficiaries do not use them. The Annual Wellness Visit alone can catch chronic conditions early and build a personalized prevention plan, yet fewer than half of Medicare beneficiaries take advantage of it. This episode is a complete catalog of every free preventive service, when you are eligible, and how to make sure you are not accidentally billed.
Key Topics
- The "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit: available in your first twelve months on Part B, covers a full health risk assessment, zero dollars
- Annual Wellness Visits: available every twelve months after the first year, not a physical exam but a health risk and prevention plan update, zero dollars
- Cancer screenings covered at zero cost: mammograms (annually after forty), colorectal cancer screening (colonoscopy, stool tests), cervical/vaginal cancer screening, lung cancer screening (low-dose CT for qualifying smokers), prostate cancer screening (PSA test)
- Cardiovascular screenings: cholesterol, lipids, and triglycerides every five years; cardiovascular disease risk reduction counseling
- Diabetes screening and prevention: fasting glucose tests for at-risk individuals, diabetes self-management training, medical nutrition therapy
- Vaccinations: flu, pneumonia, COVID, Hepatitis B, RSV — all covered under Part B at zero dollars
- The billing trap: if your doctor orders a diagnostic test during a wellness visit (because they found something), that test may be billed separately with a copay — ask before agreeing to additional tests