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