Two visits to know
| Visit | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit | Once, within the first 12 months of Part B | Review of health and history, height, weight, blood pressure, vision check, and a plan for screenings |
| Annual Wellness Visit | Every 12 months after your first year of Part B | Review or update your health risk assessment and prevention plan; a physical exam is not part of it |
If your provider accepts Medicare assignment, both visits are covered with no deductible and no coinsurance. Neither is a head-to-toe physical, and Original Medicare does not cover routine physicals.
Screenings and counseling commonly covered
- Cancer: mammograms, colorectal screening, cervical and prostate screening, and lung cancer screening for people who meet the risk criteria
- Heart: cardiovascular blood tests and counseling
- Diabetes: screening for people at risk, and self-management training
- Bone density measurements for people at risk
- Depression screening and alcohol-misuse counseling
- Obesity counseling for eligible people
Coverage rules and how often you can get each service vary, so ask your provider whether Medicare covers it for you.
Vaccines
Part B covers the flu shot, pneumococcal shots, hepatitis B shots for people at medium or high risk, and COVID-19 vaccines. Other adult vaccines recommended by federal advisers, such as shingles, Tdap, and RSV, are covered under Part D, and since 2023 recommended adult vaccines have had no cost sharing there. Check that your pharmacy is in your plan's network.
When you can be billed
A preventive visit becomes a regular office visit if the provider also evaluates or treats a new or existing problem. The extra part may be billed to you with the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) and 20% coinsurance. A screening that finds a problem and leads to a diagnostic test or treatment can also have cost sharing. Ask your provider how they will bill before the visit starts.