Medicare Part B
Part B covers care at a clinic or at a hospital as an outpatient
Coverage includes:
- Doctor visits, including in the hospital
- Annual Wellness Visit
- Ambulatory surgery center services
- Ambulance and emergency room services
- Skilled nursing services
- Preventive services, like flu shots or mammograms
- Clinical laboratory services, like blood and urine tests
- X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, EKGs and some other diagnostic tests
- Some health programs, like smoking cessation, obesity counseling and cardia rehab
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services
- Diabetes screenings, diabetes education and certain diabetes supplies
- Mental health care
- Durable medical equipment for use at home, like wheelchairs and walkers
Part B Costs
Premium $164.90 - $594.00 Per Month
Part B charges a monthly premium that is either deducted from your monthly Social Security benefits check or that you pay directly to Medicare. The amount you pay can vary depending on your tax reported income from two years prior. Monthly Part B premium costs range from $164.90 - $594.00 Per Month.
Part B premium is deducted from your monthly Social Security benefits check or you pay directly to Medicare.
Medicare approved amount:
The amount Medicare decides providers should be paid for covered services.
Doctors and other providers may accept assignment and take the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full even if it's less than what they usually charge.
Doctors who do not accept assignment may charge more than the Medicare-approved amount and bill you for the difference. The additional amount they may bill is called the "limiting charge."
- The provider can only charge you up to 15% over the amount that non-participating providers are paid.
- Non-participating providers are paid 95% of the fee schedule amount.
- The limiting charge applies only to certain Medicare-covered services and doesn't apply to some supplies and durable medical equipment.