Yearly “Wellness” Visits
“Wellness” visits help keep you armed and informed in the battle against cancer. Each of these Medicare-covered annual consultations will focus on developing or updating your personalized plan to prevent disease based on your current health and risk factors. In other words, you’ll have a chance to retool as you talk over strategy with your healthcare professional.
You’re eligible for your first annual “wellness” visit 12 months after your “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit. If you missed your “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit, you’re still eligible for annual “wellness” visits, so you shouldn’t miss out on this opportunity.
Medicare Supplement Plans and Preventive Care
All Medicare Supplement (or Medigap) plans except Plans K and L cover 100% of any coinsurance charge that applies to preventive care services covered by Medicare Part B. Plans K and L provide 50% and 75% coverage, respectively.
Medigap Plans E and J offer coverage for preventive care not covered by Medicare. Plans E and J are no longer sold, but continue to provide preventive care benefits to those still enrolled in these plans.
The battle against cancer, unfortunately, isn’t always a simple matter of preventive care.
Each year Americans of all ages learn that they already have cancer in varying stages, and that they’re in for the battle of their lives. Fortunately, many Medicare recipients receiving such news have prepared as well as possible for such a turn of events by making the wise choice—long before a trace of cancer was detected—of enrolling in a Medicare supplement plan.
Medicare Supplement Insurance and Cancer Treatment
Medicare supplement insurance can be a great tool for keeping out-of-pocket costs related to cancer treatment in check. Typical premiums are $90-$180 for a non-smoking 65 year old (your premium is subject to underwriting factors), but Medigap coverage is likely to pay off in the long run.While there are cheaper alternatives, Medicare supplement plans normally allow you to see a wide range of doctors and service providers. You’re not limited to a small, limited network. Flexibility of that sort can mean a lot if you’re ever called on to battle as formidable a foe as cancer.