Medicare Resources for Consumers
Preventive Health Guide
Take a step forward for yourself and your health.
Prevention is the key
As you get older, your chance of getting certain diseases increases. To help you stay healthy, Medicare pays for many preventive healthcare services. Preventive services are tests and exams that detect a disease early, or prevent it from developing.
Ask your healthcare provider about these preventive care services covered by Medicare Part B:
- Welcome to Medicare Visit
- Flu and pneumococcal vaccinations
- Colorectal cancer screenings
- Diabetic monitoring and self-management training
- For women: mammograms, Pap smear, clinical breast and pelvic exam
- For men: prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, digital rectal exam
- Bone density measurement to detect osteoporosis
- Hepatitis B vaccination
Preventive Health Tips
Flu and Pneumonia Shots
| Flu and Pneumonia Shots | ||||
Pneumococcal Disease and Vaccinations Brochure (pdf)  |
||||
 |
||||
Between October and March is the best time for you to get your flu and pneumonia shots. These vaccines protect you from contracting influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia, a serious bacterial infection of the lungs that is the most common complication of influenza among older adults.
You need a flu shot every year because flu viruses change annually. Early fall is the best time for a flu shot. Watch for hospitals, health care centers and pharmacies offering free flu shots for older adults. For most adults over age 65, one pneumonia shot every five years provides protection.
Why risk a bout of flu or pneumonia when there's such an easy way to avoid these illnesses? Both shots can be given on the same day, and Medicare Part B will cover the costs if your doctor accepts Medicare assignment.
Click here to download our "Get the Facts on Pneumococcal Disease and Vaccinations" brochure.
