Have you received your Medicare & You 2022 booklet? If not, you can download one at Medicare.gov. They are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, and are available in braille and audio. Highlighted below are the new Medicare preventive benefits available in 2022 that are outlined in the booklet. For a full list of Medicare’s preventive benefits, see Medicare’s publication: Your Guide to Medicare Preventive Services.
New Preventive Benefits
- Bariatric Surgery when certain conditions related to morbid obesity exist. Surgical procedures include gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic banding surgery.
- Cognitive assessment and care plan services. Medicare now covers a cognitive assessment to help detect the earliest signs of cognitive impairment. Your doctor may perform this assessment during a routine visit or during your annual “Wellness” visit. If you show signs of cognitive impairment, Medicare also covers a separate visit with your regular doctor or specialist to do a full review of your cognitive function, establish or confirm a diagnosis like dementia, including Alzheimerโs disease, and develop a care plan.
- Blood-based bio-marker test. Medicare covers this screening test for colorectal cancer, in certain cases, once every 3 years. To be eligible you must:
- Be between 50-85.
- Show no symptoms of colorectal disease.
- Be at average risk for developing colorectal cancer.
- Added opioid risk assessment in “Welcome to Medicare” visit and annual “Wellness” visit. If you have a current prescription for opioids, your provider will review your potential risk factors for opioid use disorder, evaluate your severity of pain and current treatment plan, provide information on non-opioid treatment options, and may refer you to a specialist, if appropriate. Your provider will also review your potential risk factors for substance use disorder and refer you for treatment, if needed.
- COVID-19 related services. Medicare covers several items and services related to COVID-19, like vaccines, diagnostic tests, antibody tests, and monoclonal antibody treatments. Medicare & You 2022 has a whole page dedicated to outlining these covered services. You can also visit Medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus.
