Medicare
preventive benefits begin
January 2005 with a goal of healthier
seniors
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- America's seniors will soon have
new benefits that will help them live healthier lives, including
Medicare-provided medical screenings for heart disease and diabetes,
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today in a department-wide
campaign to maximize preventative health care.
For new Medicare
beneficiaries, the "Welcome to Medicare" physical exam, coupled with
an increasingly broad set of preventive benefits including
prescription drug coverage, provides Medicare beneficiaries with
greater access to more prevention-focused benefits than ever before.
These services are key features of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA),
signed into law by President George W. Bush in December 2003.
To support
the focus on prevention-oriented health care for seniors, Secretary
Thompson launched a coordination of resources between HHS agencies,
specifically the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"We are
committed to healthy aging and to closing the prevention gap so
America's seniors can learn new ways to prevent illness and if they
do get sick, to treat problems early," Secretary Thompson said.
"This new effort will improve the quality of life for seniors and
their families."
Medicare
recently mailed an updated "Medicare and You" handbook that, for the
first time, emphasizes Medicare's new prevention-oriented focus. The
handbook informs beneficiaries of what they should do to take
advantage of these new services dedicated to early detection and
treatment of disease.
"Too many
seniors do not use the services that make it possible to find and
treat illnesses before they lead to more serious problems, as well
as avoidable increases in health care costs," said CMS Administrator
Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. "The new law gives us the tools to
close this 'prevention gap' for seniors, and we're going to do all
we can to use these new opportunities to keep seniors healthy."
The
difference between the number of seniors who could take advantage of
preventive services that include vaccines and screenings and those
who actually do is known as the "prevention gap."
CMS will
also work closely with the CDC and other HHS agencies to share the
prevention message with seniors and their families throughout the
nation to broaden the emphasis on prevention and early detection,
including the areas of diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels and
cancer.
"This new
Medicare screening exam will go a long way to help protect our
seniors' health and thus help them achieve their full life
expectancy," said CDC Director Julie Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H. "It
will also provide an opportunity to educate our seniors of the
importance of choosing health by eating a diet rich in fruits and
vegetables, engaging in regular physical activity and not smoking --
all things that can help prevent chronic diseases which rob so many
people of their health."
Medicare's
new comprehensive set of preventive benefits includes the "Welcome
to Medicare" physical exam and screening for heart disease and
diabetes. Coverage also includes screening for weak bones, glaucoma,
and cancers of the colon, breast, cervix, and prostate.
The exam
is aimed at providing education and counseling about the preventive
services that may be needed. Dr. McClellan said he believes the exam
will significantly improve the health prospects of Medicare
beneficiaries as they enter the program and learn about preventive
measure they may not have known were needed.
Closing
the prevention gap, Dr. McClellan noted, could save many thousands
of lives and billions of dollars in avoidable medical expenses for
preventable complications associated with heart disease, diabetes,
cancer, weak bones, high blood pressure, smoking, inactive
lifestyles, and other illnesses and unhealthy behaviors.
"Medicare's coverage and Medicare's expenses have historically
focused on paying to treat costly health problems after they occur,"
said Dr. McClellan. "With Medicare's new support to help seniors use
recommended preventive care and prescription drugs to avoid these
costly and debilitating problems, that's going to change."
Dr.
McClellan also noted that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have the
flexibility to cover far-reaching prevention services, such as
wellness programs, beyond what Medicare covers. MA plans offer
prevention benefits including health education services, exercise
programs and other services that not only alert patients to
potential health risks, but also actually work with them to change
harmful lifestyles and encourage healthy behavioral changes.