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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, AUGUST 18, 2023 Page 13 Sav Sa Sa n or Savvy Seniori r avvy Senior by Jim Miller How Does Medicare Cover Preventive Health Services? Dear Savvy Senior, How does Medicare cover preventive health screenings? I’m due to get a physical and a colonoscopy this year, but I want to fi nd out what I’ll have to pay for before I go in. Just Turned 65 Dear Just Turned, You’ll be happy to know that Medicare covers a wide array of preventive and screening services to help you stay healthy, but not all services are completely covered. Here’s what you should know. Free Preventive Benefi ts Most of Medicare’s preventive services are available to all benefi ciaries (through Part B) completely free with no copays or deductibles, as long as you meet basic eligibility standards. Mammograms; colonoscopies; shots against fl u, pneumonia, COVID-19 and hepatitis B; screenings for diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, HIV, various cancers and cardiovascular disease; and counseling to combat obesity, alcohol abuse, and smoking are just some of Medicare’s lengthy list of covered services. But to get these services for free, you need to go to a doctor who accepts Medicare “on assignment,” which means he or she has agreed to accept the Medicare approved rate as full payment. Also, the tests are free only if they’re used at specifi ed intervals. For example, cardiovascular screening blood tests once every 5 years; or colonoscopy, once every 10 years, or every two years if you’re at high risk. Medicare also off ers a free “Welcome to Medicare” exam with your doctor in your fi rst year, along with annual “Wellness” visits thereafter. But don’t confuse these with full physical examinations. These are prevention-focused visits that provide only an overview of your health and medical risk factors and serve as a baseline for future care. Cost Sharing Services There are, however, a few Medicare preventive services that do require some outof-pocket cost sharing. With these tests, you’ll have to pay 20 percent of the cost of the service after you’ve met your $226 Part B yearly deductible. The services that fall under this category include glaucoma tests, diabetes self-management trainings, barium enemas to detect colon cancer, and digital rectal exams to detect prostate cancer. For a complete list of services along with their eligibility requirements, visit Medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-screening-services. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan, your plan is also required to cover the same preventive services as original Medicare as long as you see in-network providers. Hidden Costs You also need to know that while most of the previously listed Medicare services are free, you can be charged for certain diagnostic services or additional tests or procedures related to the preventive service. For example, if your doctor fi nds and removes a polyp during your preventive care colonoscopy screening, you will pay 15 percent of the doctor’s service fee. Or, if during your annual wellness visit, your doctor needs to investigate or treat a new or existing problem, you will probably be charged here too. You may also have to pay a facility fee depending on where you receive the service. Certain hospitals, for example, will often charge separate facilities fees when you are receiving a preventive service. And you can also be charged for a doctor’s visit if you meet with a physician before or after the service. To eliminate billing surprises, talk to your doctor before any preventive service procedure to fi nd out if you may be subject to a charge and what it would be. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. WHAT A JAWSOME SUMMER! Pictured from left to right: Riley LeBlanc, Ayala LeBlanc and Elizabeth Arinello take pride in the bulletin board cluttered with shark cutouts at the Saugus Public Library. The three girls are among more than 300 Saugus Public School students who participated in the shark-themed “Reading is Jawsome” summer reading program at the library. “Saugus students Summer Reading sharks, crushing it this summer!” proclaimed Amy Melton, head of the Children’s Department at the Library (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Amy Melton) THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 12 tion. The public should keep in mind that there was a paucity of candidates for Town Meeting seats in the town elections back in 2021. In fi ve of the 10 precincts, only fi ve candidates ran for the fi ve seats. That means half of the 50-member body was elected without competition. Stay tuned for more information as “Saugus Over Coffee” continues. Here is the remaining schedule: Precinct 9 – Sept. 11; Precinct 10 – Oct. 23. Please check with The Saugus Advocate or library for any changes in dates. Residents can check the programming guide on the station’s website (www.saugustv.org) for dates and times. A video of the forum will also be available for viewing on the station’s vimeo page within a day or two after the event – www.vimeo.com/ saugustelevision. 2023 Summer Concerts at the Saugus Iron Works, 244 Central St. The Saugus Public Library and the National Park Service are proud to bring another summer of music to the Saugus Iron Works. These free, weekly concerts are open to the public and begin at 6:00 ~LEGAL NOTICE~ DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WATERWAYS REGULATION PROGRAM Notice of 401 WQC Application pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1341 and M.G.L. Chapter 21 New England Power Company (NEP) NOTIFICATION: Pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1341 and M.G.L c. 21 §§ 26-53, notice is given of a 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) application for the 339/349 Line Asset Condition Refurbishment (ACR) Project in Tewksbury, Andover, Wilmington, North Reading, Lynnfield, Wakefield, and Saugus, MA. The purpose of the Project is to complete various system maintenance and improvement activities along the entire (~17.25 miles) of the 339/349 Transmission Line, including structure replacements, access road improvements, construction of work envelopes, and re-alignment of ~0.6 miles of line within the existing ROW, requiring tree removals. Work will entail the temporary installation of more than 5,000 square feet of construction mats within Bordering Vegetated Wetlands. Therefore, in accordance with 314 CMR 9.04(1), authorization is required under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Additional information about this project may be obtained from: Alison Milliman, BSC Group, 1 Mercantile Street, Suite 610, Worcester, MA 01608. Written comments on the 401 WQC must be sent within twenty-one (21) days of this notice to: Department of Environmental Protection Division of Wetlands and Waterways Program Northeast Regional Office 150 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA 01801 Any group of ten persons, any aggrieved person, or any governmental body or private organization with a mandate to protect the environment who submits written comments may appeal the Department’s Certification. Failure to submit written comments before the end of the public comment period may result in the waiver of any right to an adjudicatory hearing. August 18, 2023 p.m. on Wednesdays through August 30. There are two more concerts to close out our 2023 lineup: August 23: Headlands (Folk, Country, Americana Pop). August 30: Memorylaners (50s, 60s, 70s). Bring chairs or a blanket and a picnic! Enjoy a summer evening at the Iron Works with great music and friends! Founder’s Day Book Sale The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are preparing for their September 9 THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 14

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