Medicare Coverage: Does Medicare Pay For Mammograms?

One of the many preventive services that are covered by Medicare are mammograms. As long as you are eligible, you may receive a mammogram screening. Medicare will cover one annual preventive mammogram for those women who have no symptoms or history of breast cancer, plus as many diagnostic mammograms as medically necessary.

Have you already had your mammogram this year? Regular mammograms are so important, because they often find an irregularity such as a lump long before you or your doctor may notice it. A mammogram screening may help detect breast cancer in a very early state when it is best treatable. All women over 50 should have a preventive mammogram screening each year. It is covered by Medicare if your doctor accepts Medicare insurance.

Talk to your doctor, if you think you may have specific risk factors or a family history, and call your doctor’s office today to schedule your next screening if you hadn’t have one within the last 12 months. If you have questions for your doctor about breast cancer, you may want to write down a list with questions before your doctors’ visit in order to help you remember important aspects. If you are easily intimidated by medical issues, you may also want to take a family member or friend with you as four ears always hear more than two.

You may find more information about Medicare benefits 2012 in the “Medicare and You” handbook which can be downloaded here.