Generally, Medicare Part B covers the services that may affect people who have diabetes. Part B also covers some preventive services for people who are at risk for diabetes. Part B covers services like the following: Diabetes Screenings Prevention Programs Self-management training Equipment and supplies Foot Exams and Treatment Glaucoma Tests Part D plans cover diabetes supplies used for injecting or inhaling insulin. Part D plans cover things like the following: Anti-diabetic drugs for maintaining blood sugar Certain medical supplies to administer insulin Insulin that isn’t administered with an insulin pump If you are enrolled in a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage, your deductible, copay, or coinsurance may be different or less depending on the plan you have chosen. Medicare Advantage plans may also offer additional services related to diabetes. Please check your Medicare Advantage Summary of Benefits to see if your plan provides any supplemental benefits. Kevin Leinum Medicare Agent – your local Medicare Expert – can help you understand the many parts of Medicare and determine what the right fit is for you. Give us a call to discuss the options available to you.

Medicare Part B covers manual manipulation of the spine if medically necessary to correct a subluxation when provided by a chiropractor or other qualified provider. Medicare doesn’t cover other services or tests ordered by a chiropractor, including X-rays, massage therapy, and acupuncture. If you only have Original Medicare, you will have to pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount; the Part B deductible also applies. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage, your deductible, copay, or coinsurance may be different or less depending on the plan you have chosen. Medicare Advantage plans may also offer additional chiropractic services. Please check your Medicare Advantage Summary of Benefits to see if your plan provides this supplemental benefit. Call Kevin Leinum Medicare Agent – your local Medicare Expert about what Medicare covers or how enrolling in a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan can improve your coverage and reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

There are many benefits that people often think original Medicare will cover, and health club memberships are one of those. Original Medicare, Part A, and Part B do not cover any of the costs associated with gym memberships or fitness programs. However, other Medicare plan options may cover a gym membership cost as a part of their supplemental benefits. Medicare Advantage plans can offer a supplemental fitness benefit like a fitness club membership in their plans if they so choose. It is important to review the Summary of Benefits for each Medicare Advantage plan to understand if there is a fitness membership included and any limitations. Most of the fitness programs available as a part of Medicare Advantage plans limit you to a network of fitness clubs. Be sure you check and see if there are any located near you or that the one you want to go to is a part of the network. There are also a very few Medicare Supplement plans that also provide supplemental fitness benefits, but they are rare. Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement insurance companies may offer supplemental fitness benefits through companies like SilverSneakers and others. Kevin Leinum Medicare Agent – your local Medicare Expert – can help you understand the many parts of Medicare and determine what the right fit is for you. Give us a call to discuss the options available to you.

Original Medicare usually doesn’t cover health care while you’re traveling outside the U.S. and its territories. There are some exceptions, including some cases where Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) may pay for services that you get on board a ship within the territorial waters adjoining the land areas of the U.S. Medicare may pay for inpatient hospital, doctor, ambulance services, or dialysis you get in a foreign country in only a few rare cases, including the following: You’re in the U.S. when a medical emergency occurs that requires immediate medical attention to prevent a disability or death, and the foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your medical condition. You’re traveling through Canada without unreasonable delay by the most direct route between Alaska and another state when a medical emergency occurs, and the Canadian hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat the emergency. You live in the U.S., and the foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your medical condition, regardless of whether an emergency exists. Before you travel outside the U.S., talk with your Medicare Advantage, Medigap plan, or insurance agent to get more information about your travel benefits. Kevin Leinum Medicare Agent – your  Medicare Expert – can help you understand the many parts of Medicare.