| Medicare Part B, along with Medicare Part A, is | | | | colorectal cancer at its earliest stages when there |
| part of the original Medicare plan. Part A covers | | | | is a better chance of treating the cancer and |
| inpatient care. That is, Part A is hospital insurance. | | | | having it go into remission. Later stage cancer is |
| Part B covers medical services. So, Part B is | | | | expensive to treat, and the treatment may not |
| Medical Insurance. Part B covers medically | | | | be effective. This is why Medicare Part B pays |
| necessary services and some preventive | | | | for colorectal cancer screenings. |
| services. | | | | Part B requires you to pay a premium, whereas |
| Medically necessary services are ordered by your | | | | Part A is generally premium free. Most people pay |
| doctor to either diagnose, or treat your medical | | | | the standard premium, however there is an |
| condition. Supplies used during these medical | | | | income test. You may have to pay more. You will |
| services are also covered. Both the medical | | | | also have to pay more if you do not enroll in |
| services and the supplies used must meet the | | | | Medicare Part B when you are first eligible. |
| accepted standards of medical practice. | | | | Generally speaking, if you receive Social Security |
| Preventive services are medical services | | | | benefits because you are 65 years old or older, |
| administered to prevent an illness. An example of | | | | you are automatically enrolled in part B. |
| this is influenza vaccination. The purpose of a flu | | | | So Medicare Part B is optional and may cover |
| shot to prevent the flu. Some diagnostic testing is | | | | inpatient medical services that Part A does not |
| also considered as preventive services. They are | | | | cover. It is used to cover medically necessary |
| used for early detection of diseases. With | | | | services which are on an outpatient basis. It also |
| diagnostic testing, diseases can be caught in early | | | | covers preventive medicine and some early |
| stages when treatment is usually more effective. | | | | diagnostic screenings. |
| Diseases caught in early stages respond better to | | | | You have learned that Part B is medical insurance |
| intervention and are less costly to treat. Diseases | | | | and not hospital health insurance like part A. And |
| caught in later stages are more difficult and cost | | | | you have also learned some of the things that |
| more to treat. | | | | Part B covers. What you did not learn is that |
| An example of preventive diagnostics is colorectal | | | | Medicare Part A and Part B do not cover all of |
| cancer screening. This service is used to catch | | | | your health care needs. |