Medicare Part B is most used when you visit your primary care physician or specialist. But Medicare Part B is also used for many other medically necessary services. Medicare defines medically necessary as “healthcare services or supplies needed to diagnose or treat an illness, injury, condition or disease, or its symptoms and that meet accepted standards of medicine”.
One of these other services covered by Part B is transportation by ambulance. Medicare covers and helps pay for ambulance services only if other types of transportation will endanger your health and will only cover and help pay for you to be transported to the nearest medical facility that’s able to give you the care you need. If you choose to be transported to a facility farther away you may have to pay more. Another service Part B covers is Durable Medical Equipment (DME). DME must be long lasting equipment that is used in your home for medical reasons and has an expected lifetime of at least 3 years. Medicare has a long list of equipment that falls under DME. One of the most important benefits of Medicare Part B are the preventive services that it covers. These services include health care that is used to prevent illness or detect illness at an early stage. Medicare.gov list 23 screenings and shots that fall under preventive services. They include things such as mammogram screenings, colorectal cancer screenings and flu shots.
Part B has an annual deductible of $226 and a coinsurance of 20%. This means that if you have Original Medicare only, with no other supplemental coverage, you will owe the first $226 filed on Part B each year and, after the deductible is met, you will be responsible for 20% of the cost of Part B services you receive.
If you have questions regarding any aspect of Medicare or Medicare health plans feel free call us at Alabama Health Guidance (256-648-5710), stop by our office at 885 Florence Blvd (Four Lane Shopping Center) or email me at ikey@alabamahealthguidance.com.
Alabama Health Guidance is an independent insurance agency and is not affiliated with Medicare or any other government agency.
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