Wicker Outlines Medicare Preventative Care Benefits

WICKER OUTLINES MEDICARE PREVENTIVE CARE BENEFITS
By Congressman Roger F. Wicker

April 11, 2005

The new comprehensive prescription drug benefit under Medicare will not begin until next year, but important potentially life-saving preventive measures included in that modernization plan took effect in January. These services have the potential to prevent deaths and help seniors live healthier lifestyles by identifying problems early when treatment works best.

An increased emphasis on preventive medicine and wellness care can help countless seniors avert stroke, heart attack, and other serious diseases. The new benefits can be instrumental in catching many illnesses and conditions in their early stages. The resulting treatment and health management routines are likely to be less severe and more successful. Shorter hospital stays and less extensive care options should also produce major costs savings for the Medicare program in the long-run.

The benefits added on January 1, 2005 include:

-A "Welcome to Medicare" Physical Exam. New Medicare enrollees are entitled to a one-time preventive exam that includes a health review as well as education and counseling about preventive services.

-Cardiovascular Screening. A blood screening is available to test cholesterol and blood fat levels that could determine if individuals are at risk for heart disease and stroke.

-Diabetes Screening. Medicare will cover blood sugar tests to check for diabetes. The program will provide supplies including glucose monitors, test strips, and lancets. A diabetes self-management training plan is also available for beneficiaries at risk for complications from the disease.

The new Medicare law also strengthens other existing preventive care programs. It provides more access to mammography tests using the most advanced technologies, pap smears and pelvic exams, prostate cancer screening, glaucoma tests, and shots for influenza, hepatitis B, and pneumonia.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES SAVE $$

Health researchers note that the cost of adding preventive care services to Medicare will be offset by an improvement in the lives of beneficiaries and reduced spending on more serious medical treatment. For example, one survey found that health care associated with obesity added 15 percent to Medicare spending over one three-year period. By providing an initial medical exam, physicians can counsel beneficiaries with this condition and stress the importance of preventive care and a more health lifestyle.

Congress and President Bush have worked hard to provide 21st century solutions to the challenge of improving and strengthening Medicare. These preventive measures, and the prescription drug benefit set to take effect on January 1, 2006, are key elements in this effort to care for present and future generations of Medicare recipients.

http://www.house.gov/wicker/Preventive.htm