I'm confused about preventive services under Medicare. Which screenings are actually free?

Question

Larry Dalton · Accepted Answer

When it comes to Medicare, with Medicare Part A and B and the additional purchase of a Medicare supplement, or some call it Medigap, you can receive several preventive screenings and services at no cost. Diabetes, colon cancer, depression, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, cholesterol, and mammograms can all be covered without cost, if you have a Medicare supplement plan added to your traditional Medicare Part A and B.

Answered by Larry Dalton on April 10, 2025

Broker Licensed in OK & TX

Answered by Larry Dalton Medicare Insurance Agent

George Ibanez · Answer

Medicare part B covers the following tests at no charge:
1-Welcome to Medicare during your first 12 months of having Medicare B
2-An Annual Wellness visit.
3-an Annual mammogram for women age 40 and older.
4-Cervical cancer screenings every 24 months.
5-Colorectal cancer screenings.
6-Lung cancer screenings.
7-Prostate cancer screenings.
8-Diabetic screenings.
9-Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screenings.
10-Depression screenings.

Lauren Fodde · Answer

Great question — Medicare covers a long list of preventive services at no cost to you, as long as the provider accepts Medicare.
That means $0 copay and no deductible, as long as the service is preventive and not diagnostic.

Here are the main screenings and checkups that are completely free:

Yearly Preventive Visits

“Welcome to Medicare” visit (first 12 months on Part B)

Annual Wellness Visit (once every 12 months)

Cancer Screenings

Mammograms (yearly)

Colorectal cancer screening

Colonoscopy

FIT tests

Stool DNA tests (like Cologuard)

Prostate cancer PSA test (once a year for men 50+)

Pap test and pelvic exam (every 24 months; every 12 months if high-risk)

Heart & Vascular Screenings

Cardiovascular screenings (cholesterol, lipid, triglyceride testing)

Abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound (once for certain people)

Bone & Joint Screening

Bone density test (osteoporosis screening)

Mental & Cognitive Health

Depression screening

Alcohol misuse screening

Cognitive assessment (part of your wellness visit)

Vaccines (covered at 100% under Part D or Medicare Advantage)

Flu shot

Pneumonia vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine

Shingles vaccine

Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)

Other Preventive Screenings

Diabetes screening (up to twice a year)

Hepatitis B and C screenings

HIV screening

STI screenings

Obesity counseling

Important note:
These services are free only when they are preventive. If doctors find something and need to do additional testing or follow-up, that part may come with a cost.

James Carlson · Answer

The annual exam is a free service for Advantage and also for a supplement plan.
Other office services with or without a doctor will have copays with Advantage.  All medical services are covered and paid with a supplement.

Ellen Diehl · Answer

Are you on a Medicare Supplement Plan G = Good or an Advantage plan? There are differences. Plan G follows the guidelines set up by Original Medicare Part A & Part B. Advantage plans can add things but they also require you to follow a network? Which are you? Ellen Diehl Happy to serve.

Answered by Ellen Diehl on April 13, 2025

Broker Licensed in GA

Answered by Ellen Diehl Medicare Insurance Agent

Carly Cusack · Answer

You can find the Medicare covered services by going to Medicare.gov. If you’re on a MAPD you can find a list of covered preventive services in your plan’s Summary of Benefits.

Sandy Johnson · Answer

Typically, Medicare covers preventative services such as Wellness Visits, Vaccinations, Screening Tests, and Counseling Services at no cost. These are all yearly benefits with your plan.

Bubi Gorgevich · Answer

There is a long list of aproved screenings by medicare. here the list of few that are most required for: Colonoscopy, Preventive X-ray, Preventive EKG etc.

Sherah Beasley · Answer

Medicare covers a wide range of preventive services and many of them are completely free (no copay, coinsurance, or deductible) if certain conditions are met and you see a provider who accepts Medicare (and is in your network if you’re on a Medicare Advantage plan).

Here’s a list of preventive services that are 100% covered under Original Medicare (Part B) at no additional cost to you:

- Annual Wellness Visit- Not a full physical, but a check-in to update your personalized prevention plan. It’s free once every 12 months, after your first year on Part B.

- Welcome to Medicare- One-time free visit within the first 12 months of enrolling in Part B. Includes a review of your health, safety, and screenings.

And most screenings will be approved by Medicare if eligibility is met and there is a medical need or concern to monitor something - like cancer screenings, heart and diabetes screenings, vaccines or other tests for things like vision/hearing/depression/etc.

Ronald Plocinski · Answer

The good news is, many of these services are intended to be free of charge! The list is actually quite long of free screenings so that cannot be shown here but many things like annual physical, mammograms, colonoscopies, cancer screenings, diabetes screenings are typically completely free. One key to remember is if it is only a "screening", it is typically free. If it is diagnostic because they are looking for something in particular, you might have some cost share involved.

Answered by Ronald Plocinski on September 14, 2025

Broker Licensed in NH, AZ, CA & 16 other states

Answered by Ronald Plocinski Medicare Insurance Agent

Juliette Chihade · Answer

Common screenings that are covered at no cost are:

Annual Wellness Visit — a yearly check up to review your health and create a prevention plan (different from a regular physical)

"Welcome to Medicare" visit — a one-time visit in your first 12 months of Part B

Mammograms — screening once every 12 months for women 40+

Colonoscopy — frequency depends on your risk level

Cardiovascular disease screenings — cholesterol and other blood tests

Diabetes screening — if you're at risk

Bone mass measurement (DEXA scan) — for those at risk for osteoporosis

Lung cancer screening (low-dose CT) — for qualifying current or former heavy smokers aged 50–77
Depression screening

Certain cancer screenings — cervical, vaginal, colorectal, prostate (PSA)

Kim Gibas · Answer

Hopefully I can clear up some of your confusion.  Original Medicare covers comprehensive preventative screenings for early detection such as:

Cancer screenings for breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate

Cardiovascular screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease behavior therapy

Bone mass measurements

Diabetes screenings

Glaucoma screenings

And many more.

If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please feel free to call me.

Kathy Detweiler · Answer

Medicare covers numerous screenings for free, including an annual wellness visit, various cancer screenings (like colorectal, breast, and cervical), diabetes and cardiovascular screenings, and tests for depression, obesity, and sexually transmitted infections. Other free services include certain vaccinations like flu and COVID-19 shots, and an abdominal aortic aneurysm screening for those at risk. Some services require a specific risk factor, and frequency of coverage can vary.

Answered by Kathy Detweiler on November 4, 2025

Agent Licensed in TX

Answered by Kathy Detweiler Medicare Insurance Agent

Victor Gerber · Answer

You must see a Medicare-participating provider for the service to be covered without cost-sharing. Below is the full list of preventative services covered by medicare:

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings
Alcohol misuse screenings & counseling
Bone mass measurements
Cardiovascular disease screenings
Cardiovascular disease (behavioral therapy)
Cervical & vaginal cancer screenings
Colorectal cancer screenings
Blood-based biomarker tests
Colonoscopies
Computed tomography (CT) colonography
Fecal occult blood tests
Flexible sigmoidoscopies
Multi-target stool DNA tests
Counseling to prevent tobacco use & tobacco-caused disease
Depression screenings
Diabetes screenings
Diabetes self-management training
Glaucoma screenings
Hepatitis B shots
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection screenings
Hepatitis C virus screenings
HIV screenings
Lung cancer screenings
Mammograms (screening)
Medical nutrition therapy services
Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program
Obesity behavioral therapy
One-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention
Prostate cancer screenings
Sexually transmitted infections screenings & counseling
Shots:
COVID-19 vaccines
Flu shots
Hepatitis B shots
Pneumococcal shots
Yearly "Wellness" visit

Amber Cook · Answer

Most carriers include bone density tests, colorectal cancer screenings, diabetes screenings, mammogram screenings, prostate cancer screenings, your yearly "wellness" visit and annual vaccines under preventative services. There are many more also. I hope that helps!

Answered by Amber Cook on January 5, 2026

Broker Licensed in WA, AZ & MT

Answered by Amber Cook Medicare Insurance Agent

Fred Manas · Answer

Many Medicare Part B preventive screenings are free. This includes screenings for conditions like cancer, heart disease, and sexually transmitted infections, as well as vaccinations and the Annual Wellness Visit. You won't have to pay a deductible or coinsurance for these services.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Cancer Screenings:
Medicare covers a wide range of cancer screenings, including breast cancer (mammograms), cervical cancer (Pap tests), colon cancer (colonoscopies), prostate cancer, and lung cancer screenings. 
Heart Disease Screenings:
This includes screenings for abdominal aortic aneurysms and cardiovascular disease, as well as intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease. 
Sexually Transmitted Infections:
Medicare covers screening for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis B for those at risk. 
Vaccinations:
Free vaccinations are available for COVID-19, hepatitis B, influenza, and pneumonia. 
Annual Wellness Visit (AWV):
This is a one-on-one visit with your doctor to develop or update your personalized prevention plan, which is also free. 
Other Free Screenings:
Medicare also covers free screenings for alcohol misuse, depression, diabetes, hepatitis C, HIV, osteoporosis, and more.

Gary Henderson · Answer

Many Medicare Part B preventive services, including various cancer screenings, vaccinations, and wellness visits, are no cost to beneficiaries, as long as the service is provided by a provider who accepts assignment. For example, colorectal cancer screenings like colonoscopies, mammograms, and Prostate cancer screenings are covered without cost. Additionally, the Welcome to Medicare and yearly wellness visits are also no cost.

Answered by Gary Henderson on April 10, 2025

Agent Licensed in TX, AK, AL & 46 other states

Answered by Gary Henderson Medicare Insurance Agent

Charles Borg · Answer

Wellness visits, vaccinations (flu, coved 19, pneumonia, etc.), screenings (Cole total, breast, etc. And some counseling.

Tony Hardwick · Answer

The preventative services offered at no cost include screenings, vaccinations, and counseling sessions. For more information you can access the Medicare website.

Brenda Watson · Answer

The easiest way to understand your medicare, preventive services is to simply look in your medicare and you guide. This is the book that gets sent out to you annually. If you open it up on, I believe page thirty two or thirty three is where preventive benefits start, everything listed with an apple is a preventive benefit. When you're looking at it, notice that these preventive benefits have time frames that you have to go by, for example, a colonoscopy is once every ten years. Keep in mind that preventative means they find nothing wrong with you, once they find an issue such as polyps, then it becomes diagnostic, no longer preventative.

Answered by Brenda Watson on July 30, 2025

Broker Licensed in OK & AR

Answered by Brenda Watson Medicare Insurance Agent

Sandy Hammond · Answer

There are many preventive screenings that are at no cost for Medicare Beneficiaries:
Diabetes Screening
Cardiovascular Screening
Pulmonary Screening
Various Cancer Screenings for both male and female
Obesity Screening
Bone Mass Measurement Screening
Colorectal Screening
Gynecological Screening
Prostate Screening
This is not the full list of preventive screenings that are available.  For a more comprehensive list, please see the Medicare & You Handbook that should be mailed to you each year.

Ron Gambles · Answer

Generally, services such as yearly immunizations for example, flu, shingles and routine screenings like mammograms'. However, these are typically limited to a set number for a given period. For a full comprehensive list contact your Plan.

Answered by Ron Gambles on April 9, 2025

Agent Licensed in TN

Answered by Ron Gambles Medicare Insurance Agent

Mark Summers · Answer

A great resource available to all is www.medicare.gov

Andrew Dooly · Answer

Medicare actually covers quite a few preventive services at no cost if you meet the guidelines. This includes things like the Welcome to Medicare visit, yearly wellness visits, certain vaccines, and screenings for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and several other conditions. It’s a good way to stay on top of your health and catch issues early.

Answered by Andrew Dooly on March 3, 2026

Broker Licensed in NC, CT, GA & 6 other states

Answered by Andrew Dooly Medicare Insurance Agent

Dismery Gonzalez · Answer

Under Medicare, these are 100% free (no copay, no deductible) if the provider accepts Medicare:

Annual Wellness Visit (not a physical)
Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes screenings
Depression screening
Mammograms
Pap test/pelvic exam
Colorectal cancer screenings
Flu, COVID-19, pneumonia vaccines
Smoking & obesity counseling

Not free: routine physical exams, shingles vaccine, or tests ordered for diagnosis.

⚠️ If a screening turns diagnostic, you may pay.

Morgan Luck · Answer

. Specific free screenings include mammograms, colonoscopies, cardiovascular disease screenings, diabetes screenings, and an annual Medicare Wellness check up

Barbara Cleveland · Answer

Totally understandable—Medicare can be confusing! The good news is that Medicare Part B covers many preventive services at no cost to you, as long as your doctor accepts Medicare. This includes things like yearly wellness visits, mammograms, colonoscopies, diabetes screenings, flu shots, and more. It’s all about catching issues early, and you don’t pay a dime for these if they’re considered preventive.

Answered by Barbara Cleveland on April 10, 2025

Broker Licensed in FL & MN

Answered by Barbara Cleveland Medicare Insurance Agent

Joy Spencer · Answer

Annual Wellness Visit
	•	Not a full physical exam, but a personalized prevention plan
	•	Includes health risk assessment and review of your medical history

Welcome to Medicare Visit
	•	One-time visit within the first 12 months of having Part B
	•	Includes vision screening, blood pressure check, and more

Screenings (at $0 copay with qualified provider):
	•	Mammograms (annually for women 40+)
	•	Colorectal cancer screenings (colonoscopy, fecal occult test, etc.)
	•	Cervical and vaginal cancer screening (Pap test and pelvic exam every 24 months)
	•	Prostate cancer screening (PSA test once a year for men 50+)
	•	Lung cancer screening (for those at high risk, annually)
	•	Diabetes screening (if you’re at risk)
	•	Hepatitis B & C screenings
	•	HIV screening
	•	Depression screening
	•	Alcohol misuse screening
	•	Obesity screening and counseling

Vaccines
	•	Flu shot (annually)
	•	Pneumococcal vaccine (1–2 doses depending on health history)
	•	Hepatitis B vaccine (if you’re at medium or high risk)
	•	COVID-19 vaccine
	•	Under Part D or Advantage plans with drug coverage:
	•	Shingles vaccine (Shingrix)
	•	Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)

Other Preventive Services
	•	Bone mass measurements (osteoporosis)
	•	Cardiovascular disease screening (blood tests every 5 years)
	•	Glaucoma test (once per year if at high risk)
	•	Nutrition therapy (for diabetes or kidney disease)

I'm confused about preventive services under Medicare. Which screenings are actually free?

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I'm confused about preventive services under Medicare. Which screenings are actually free?

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