Medicare Part B
Medically necessary services like doctors’ services, outpatient care, home health services and other medical services are covered by Part B. Medicare Part B also covers some preventive services. You can find out if you have Medicare Part B by looking at your Medicare card.
You’ll pay your Part B premium each month. Most people will pay the standard premium amount of $183(2017).
There are two kinds of Medicare Part B-covered services:
- Medically-necessary services or supplies that are needed to diagnose or treat a medical condition that meet accepted standards of medical practice.
- Preventive services that include health care to prevent illness or detect diseases at an early stage. This includes PAP smears, mammograms, colonoscopies etc.
Medicare doesn’t cover everything.
If you need certain services that Medicare doesn’t cover, you must pay for them out of pocket, unless you have other insurance to cover the costs. Even if Medicare covers a service or item, you’ll generally have to pay deductibles, coinsurance and co payments.
Learn Medicare Basics
Medicare Insurance Blog
What does Medicare Part C cover?
Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage, is an alternative to Original Medicare (Parts A and B). It is offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. What does Medicare Part C cover? It combines hospital and medical coverage and often includes...
Medicare Supplement premiums are climbing at unprecedented rates
Medicare Supplement premiums are climbing at unprecedented rates in 2025, with average increases nearing 10%—the highest in over a decade. In some states, policyholders are facing hikes of up to 40%. Understanding the reasons why Medicare Supplement premiums are...
Which States Are Not Allowed to Charge Medicare Excess Charges?
What Are Medicare Excess Charges? The term Medicare excess charges refer to the additional number of charges, over and above the Medicare-approved payment amount that non-participating doctors and hospitals may bill patients. Here is how it works: Medicare sets a...
Kaiser Health News