Medicare Part B

Medicare Part B

Medicare is a federal health insurance program designed to assist the nation's elderly to meet hospital, medical, and other health costs.

Medicare is available to people in the U.S. who are 65 and older as well as some younger people with disabilities and is a different program than Medicaid, which offers health and other services to eligible low-income people of all ages.

Medicare Part B covers 2 types of services:

 

You pay nothing for most preventive services if you get the services from a health care provider who accepts assignment.

 
Medically Necessary Services

Services or supplies that are needed to diagnose or treat your medical condition and that meet accepted standards of medical practice.

Preventive Services

Health care to prevent illness (like the flu) or detect it at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to work best.

 

Part B covers things like:

 
  • Clinical research
  • Ambulance services
  • Durable medical equipment (DME)
  • Limited outpatient prescription drugs
  • Mental health
    • Inpatient
    • Outpatient
  • Partial hospitalization