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A Better Medicare for Healthier Seniors |
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Partnership for Prevention has advocated for more than a decade to give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services the authority to cover preventive services the same way it covers diagnostic and treatment services.
Our advocacy includes the development of a position statement, which was signed by nearly 40 prominent health thought leaders and organizations and sent to leaders of key health Congressional committees. Partnership has also supported improvements to the Welcome to Medicare Visit to increase utilization and encourage Medicare beneficiaries to get up to date on recommended preventive services.
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (Public Law No: 110-275)
On July 15, 2008, many of the provisions that Partnership for Prevention has long endorsed and promoted were implemented as part of Public Law No.110-275. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act includes significant changes that will allow Medicare to recognize more fully the importance of prevention and improve the health of seniors.
The law’s prevention provisions include:
Giving the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to cover additional preventive services under Medicare. This bill gives the Secretary the authority to expand Medicare coverage to include services the Secretary determines to be reasonable and necessary for the prevention or early detection of an illness or disability based on the evidence-based recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Coverage will be determined by the National Coverage Determination (NCD) process, and services must be recommended with a grade of A or B by the United States Preventive Services Task Force.
Extending the eligibility period for the “Welcome to Medicare” visit from six months to one year. The “Welcome to Medicare” visit is a preventive physical examination that was added under Medicare Part B on January 1, 2005. The visit is an opportunity for new Medicare recipients to receive important screenings and immunizations and receive health guidance counseling. Currently, beneficiaries are only eligible to receive this benefit within their first six months of Medicare Part B coverage. This bill extends the eligibility period from six months to one year to allow more beneficiaries to take advantage of this important benefit.
Eliminating the deductible for the “Welcome to Medicare” visit. The bill waives the deductibles for the “Welcome to Medicare” visit. Reducing this financial barrier will remove a possible disincentive for their use, particularly for low-income beneficiaries, and should increase the utilization of the benefit.
Partnership will continue to work to improve the preventive aspects of Medicare, including eliminating cost-sharing (deductibles and co-pays) of all preventive services. Please contact Jason Spangler (
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) with any questions regarding Partnership’s policies on Medicare and preventive services.
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