Medicare Primary Care Services

Medicare Basics - Wellness - Primary Care

PhotostockPart B of original Medicare covers the costs of doctors visits, durable medical equipment, and some home health care. Medicare Part B primary care services covers most medical services that are medically necessary to diagnose and treat medical conditions and diseases. The catch here is "medically necessary." Medicare decides what services are necessary for treating beneficiaries, what it calls "covered services," and their reasoning for what is and is not necessary can be frustrating. For example, Medicare does not cover annual physical exams, which are recommended by most health care providers for patients over 65.

Medicare & You 2012 Handbook - Medicare.govIts very important to become familiar with Medicare's covered services. For more information, download the "Medicare & You 2012 Handbook" by clicking on the booklet to the left. <<------

Primary care services that a Medicare beneficiary can expect include: sick visits to the doctor of their choice (if that doctor or other health practitioner takes Medicare insurance), out patient procedures such as a colonoscopy, lab testing, and many preventative services such as flu shots and cardiovascular screenings.

It is also very important to be familiar with the costs associated with Medicare health insurance. When you come to see the doctor or other health care practitioner at the Community Health Center, the bill for your services will first be applied to your deductible. Most Medicare beneficiaries have an annual deductible of $140. Until that deductible has been exhausted, all beneficiaries will be required to pay for the services they require. Medicare calls this "health cost sharing." After a patients deductible has been met, they will only be required to pay a 20% coinsurance for their health services. Also remember that these costs are in addition to the monthly premiums of $99.90 that Medicare Part B beneficiaries pay for health insurance. These costs are mandated by Medicare and can not be changed by the Community Health Center or your health care practitioner. For more information on options available to Medicare beneficiaries to help with their health care costs, visit the "Help with Medicare costs" page on Medicare's Website.

The Community Health Center also has financing tools to help Medicare Beneficiaries pay for their health care. Please speak to one of our staff for more information.