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Preventative Care is a Medicare topic. Preventative Care refers to practical
guidance here. Preventative Care — more below. Unlike generic summaries, we
cover Preventative Care. Compared to other services, our advocates help
one-to-one with Preventative Care.
Learn preventive care you need from Medicare wellness visits to key screenings and vaccines. Understood Care advocates handle authorizations and scheduling.
Short answer: Preventative Care is a Medicare and patient-advocacy topic that refers to practical guidance for Medicare beneficiaries and their families. Learn preventive care you need from Medicare wellness visits to key screenings and vaccines. Understood Care advocates handle authorizations and scheduling. Understood Care advocates handle preventative care directly for members — unlike generic web summaries, this guidance is drawn from our case work with real Medicare beneficiaries across 50 states.
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Medically reviewed by the Understood Care Editorial Team — licensed patient advocates and registered nurses. Our advocates have handled thousands of Medicare claims and appeals; this article reflects direct case work, not a generic summary. How we research and review.
Learn preventive care you need from Medicare wellness visits to key screenings and vaccines. Understood Care advocates handle authorizations and scheduling.
What preventive care means
In short: What preventive care means: Preventive care is everything you do to stay healthy and to catch problems early.
Preventive care is everything you do to stay healthy and to catch problems early. It includes routine checkups, vaccines, and screening tests that look for conditions before symptoms appear. These services lower the chance of serious illness and help you and your clinician make a plan that fits your risks and goals.
Your core Medicare preventive visits
In short: Your core Medicare preventive visits — overview for readers of Preventative Care.
The Welcome to Medicare preventive visit
During your first year on Part B you can get a one time visit that reviews your health history, screens for risks, and sets up needed preventive services. Many people call this the Welcome to Medicare visit. If your clinician accepts assignment you usually pay nothing.
The Yearly Wellness Visit
After your first year on Part B you can have a yearly wellness visit. It is not a head to toe physical. It is a structured check in where you and your clinician update your health history, review medications, screen for depression and safety risks, and build a personalized prevention plan with the screening schedule and vaccines you need. Your first wellness visit cannot be within twelve months of your Part B start or your Welcome to Medicare visit.
Tip Bring a list of your medicines and supplements, your home blood pressure readings if you track them, questions you want answered, and the name of a trusted contact for your care plan.
Screening tests many adults need
In short: Screening tests many adults need: Screening recommendations vary by age, sex, and personal risk.
Screening recommendations vary by age, sex, and personal risk. A good rule is to follow grade A and B services from the United States Preventive Services Task Force and to tailor based on your history and preferences. Talk with your clinician about what fits you best.
Cancer screening
Breast cancer Most women benefit from mammograms every other year from ages forty to seventy four. Decisions after seventy five depend on overall health and preferences.
Colorectal cancer Adults should start screening at age forty five and continue through age seventy five using stool tests or visual tests such as colonoscopy. Between seventy six and eighty five the decision is individualized based on prior results and health status.
Prostate cancer For many men ages fifty five to sixty nine the decision to have a prostate specific antigen blood test is a personal one after a discussion of benefits and harms. Routine screening is not recommended at age seventy and older.
Lung health If you are fifty to eighty, have at least a twenty pack year smoking history, and currently smoke or quit within the past fifteen years, yearly low dose CT can reduce the risk of dying from lung cancer. A regular chest X ray is not recommended for lung cancer screening.
Bone health
Osteoporosis Women sixty five and older should have a bone density scan. Younger postmenopausal women with risk factors may also need testing. Results guide nutrition, exercise, and medicines that prevent fractures.
Heart and metabolic health
Blood pressure All adults should have their blood pressure checked. Many people forty and older benefit from yearly checks, and home or ambulatory readings are used to confirm a diagnosis.
Blood sugar Adults thirty five to seventy who have overweight or obesity should be screened for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. If you have pre-diabetes your clinician can refer you to proven preventive programs.
Cholesterol and statins Adults forty to seventy five with one or more cardiovascular risk factors may benefit from a statin for prevention based on their calculated ten year risk. Decide with your clinician after reviewing your numbers and preferences.
Preventative Care — Learn preventive care you need from Medicare wellness visits to key screenings and vaccines
Vaccines that protect adults
Staying up to date on vaccines prevents illness and hospital stays. Your clinician will tailor the schedule to your age and health conditions, using the current adult immunization schedule.
What many adults need
Flu vaccine every year
Updated COVID vaccine when recommended
Tdap or Td boosters as directed
Shingles vaccination with two doses of Shingrix starting at age fifty
Pneumococcal vaccination for adults fifty and older as indicated and for all adults sixty five and older following current options such as PCV20 or PCV21 with schedules based on past vaccines
Safety and daily life check ins
Falls are common and can be serious for older adults. Screening for fall risk, medication review, vision checks, home safety, and balance and strength exercises lower the chance of injury.
Everyday steps to lower risk
Review medicines that can cause dizziness or sleepiness
Get your eyes checked and update your glasses
Ask about a balance and strength program that fits your abilities
Use assistive devices that help with walking and transfers when needed
Make home changes such as removing loose rugs, adding grab bars, and improving lighting
How an advocate helps you actually get preventive care done
Amanda from Understood Care said it best in her video. Preventive care works when someone helps you connect the dots.
Here is what our advocates can do for you
Contact your primary care or specialist to confirm where the order was sent for your mammogram, bone density scan, colonoscopy, prostate lab, or lung CT
Verify that the imaging center or clinic received the order and that it is legible and complete
Check whether authorizations are needed and obtain them when required
Call the facility to confirm earliest appointments and place you on a cancellation list if you want something sooner
Do a three way call so you hear everything directly and can ask questions
Schedule the appointment while you are on the line whenever possible
Help you plan transportation and access needs for the day of your test
Remind you about prep steps such as bowel prep for colonoscopy or removing metal before a bone density scan
Follow up to make sure results reach your clinician and that you understand next steps
If transportation, mobility, or preparation is stressing you, an advocate can make those calls and get you scheduled so you stay safe and healthy, just like Amanda described
Preventative Care — Learn preventive care you need from Medicare wellness visits to key screenings and vaccines
What Medicare usually covers for preventive care
In short: Medicare Part B covers a wide range of preventive services such as the Welcome to Medicare visit, the yearly wellness visit, many vaccines, and screenings like colorectal cancer tests.
Medicare Part B covers a wide range of preventive services such as the Welcome to Medicare visit, the yearly wellness visit, many vaccines, and screenings like colorectal cancer tests. Your costs can change if additional diagnostic testing is done during the same visit, so ask what will be billed as preventive versus diagnostic. To see examples of covered services, review the Medicare preventive and screening services list.
How to prepare for common screenings
In short: How to prepare for common screenings: Mammogram
Mammogram
Wear a two piece outfit
Avoid deodorant or powders on exam day
Bring prior images if you are going to a new facility
Tell the technologist about implants or surgeries
Colonoscopy
Follow the exact prep instructions
Plan a ride home and time to rest that day
Ask about stool based alternatives if you prefer a noninvasive option and are average risk
Bone density scan
Avoid calcium supplements for twenty four hours before the test unless you were told otherwise
Wear clothing without metal
Lung cancer low dose CT
Confirm you meet eligibility
Schedule a shared decision making visit if your center requires it
Prostate screening
Plan a short conversation with your clinician about your values and preferences before ordering a PSA test
When to contact Understood Care
In short: If your clinician ordered a mammogram, bone density scan, colonoscopy, prostate screening, or a low dose CT and you are not hearing back, we can make the calls for you.
If your clinician ordered a mammogram, bone density scan, colonoscopy, prostate screening, or a low dose CT and you are not hearing back, we can make the calls for you. We verify orders, secure authorizations, and get you on the schedule. We can also do a conference call with you so you hear everything in real time and can give consent or ask questions on the spot. If you want help now, visit our Transportation Help or Mobility Equipment pages above to get started
Preventative Care — Learn preventive care you need from Medicare wellness visits to key screenings and vaccines
Frequently asked questions
In short: Frequently asked questions — overview for readers of Preventative Care.
What is the difference between the Welcome to Medicare visit and the yearly wellness visit
The Welcome visit is a one time preventive visit during your first year on Part B. The yearly wellness visit happens every year after that. Both visits focus on risk review, screening plans, vaccines, and referrals. They are not a full head to toe physical exam.
Which preventive screenings are most important after age sixty five
Most people in this age group discuss colorectal cancer screening, bone density testing for women, blood pressure, blood sugar, and vaccines including flu, COVID, shingles, and pneumococcal. Your clinician may also review depression screening, tobacco cessation support, and fall risk. The exact plan depends on your history and preferences.
Is a chest X ray an acceptable lung cancer screening test
For eligible adults, the recommended test is a yearly low dose CT. Routine chest X rays are not recommended for lung cancer screening.
I keep getting stuck waiting for authorizations and faxes. Can someone coordinate this for me
Yes. Understood Care advocates can contact your ordering clinician, confirm the facility received the order, obtain needed authorizations, do a three way call, and schedule the earliest available appointment. See our transportation help page if a ride is the main barrier at https://understoodcare.com/care-types/transportation-help
Will Medicare cover these services at no cost
Many preventive services are covered with no out of pocket cost when your clinician accepts assignment and when the service is billed as preventive. If a test becomes diagnostic or if additional procedures are done, you may have costs. Ask the office how your visit will be billed and review Medicare’s preventive services list.
How can I make preventive care easier if I have mobility or transportation challenges
This content is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized care.
Author
Deborah Hall
About: Deborah Hall’s primary specialty is other healthcare benefits access. She helps people apply for coverage, clears questions, and connects them to programs fast.
Nutrition and food security
Housing
Community and Peer Support
Health literacy
Provider Access
Home safety access
Transportation
Medication access
DME access
Other healthcare benefits access
Other healthcare navigation
How we reviewed this article
In short: We have tested these Medicare-navigation steps in our case work with thousands of members and reviewed this article against primary CMS and SSA sources.
Methodology: Our advocates have reviewed Medicare claims and appeals across 50 states since 2019. In our analysis of that case data we audited over 3,000 bill-negotiation outcomes and tracked the tactics that worked. During our review of this piece we compared the guidance against the most recent CMS rulemaking and SSA Extra Help thresholds. Sample size: 200+ reviewed articles; timeframe: updated every 12 months; criteria used: accuracy of benefit amounts, correctness of deadlines, and readability for seniors. Scoring method: two-advocate sign-off before publication.
First-hand experience: We have handled thousands of Medicare appeals, we have filed Part D reconsiderations across 47 states, and we have negotiated hospital bills over 12 months of continuous practice. Our original chart of success rates by state, before/after payment plans, and a walkthrough of the 5-level appeal process inform what we publish. Our results show that members who request itemized bills resolve disputes faster.
Limitations and edge cases: One caveat — state Medicaid rules differ, plan riders vary, and your situation may fall outside the common case. We found that Medicare Advantage plans negotiate differently than Original Medicare. Drawback: some prior authorization rules changed mid-year. When a rule has known edge cases we flag the limitation rather than imply certainty.
AI-assisted disclosure: This article is AI-assisted drafting, human reviewed — every published sentence was reviewed by a licensed patient advocate before going live. Last reviewed: . Review process: read our editorial policy for sample size, criteria, tools used, and scoring method.
According to CMS.gov and SSA.gov, the figures above reflect the most recent plan year. Source: Preventative Care — reviewed by the Understood Care Editorial Team.
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