The New Year is upon us, and there’s no better time to re-evaluate your finances. If the cost of Medicare is weighing heavily on you, there are plenty of ways to decrease your costs.

The annual cost to treat hypertension in adults was $733 per person in 2010, according to a 2013 report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. If gone untreated, patients could experience a stroke, which could cost over $20,000 to treat. While Medicare pays a portion of these expenses, a patient would spend more on a stroke than on blood pressure medication.

Medicare makes it easy to identify many small health issues before they turn into costly health conditions. Doctors agree the following five screenings are essential to maintaining your health and preventing health problems down the road. Best news of all, Medicare covers 100% of the cost for most of them.

Cardiovascular Disease Screening

Detects or Prevents: Heart attack, stroke, heart disease, vascular dementia

It’s never too late for seniors to become heart healthy, according to Dr. Rober Vogel, co-author of “The Pritikin Edge: 10 Essential ingredients for a Long and Delicious Life. “Without questions, I don’t care if you’re 40 years old or 80 years old, the opportunity to correct youthful indiscretions is still there,” says Vogel.

To correct past health mistakes it’s important to eat right, avoid a sedentary lifestyle and potentially lose weight. Vogel suggests seniors first see a doctor for a cardiac risk assessment. The process involves measuring blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels.

“Most people don’t understand it’s not just about death,” he says. Many people survive heart attacks and strokes and are left with impaired abilities, loss of independence and the ongoing medical bills that accompany such attacks.

Colonoscopy or CT Colonography

Detects or Prevents: Colorectal Cancer

Colon cancer and colorectal cancer can be avoided with proper screening. “Unlike the other major cancers, they are almost entirely preventable,” says Dr. Perry Pickhardt, professor of radiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public health. “It really shouldn’t be on the top 10 cancers list if people had appropriate screenings.”

The most common way to detect these cancers or find polyps is through a colonoscopy. Medicare covers the cost of colonoscopies every 120 months or every 24 months for those at high risk. If polyps must be removed, a patient may have to make a copayment to cover costs.

A Colonography is a noninvasive scan that can be performed without needles, sedation or pain. It’s also the quarter of the cost of a colonoscopy. “[Colonography] is just as good as a colonoscopy at identifying large polyps,” Pickhardt says. “It’s the best kept secret in the medical world.

Depression & Alcohol Screenings

Detects or Prevents: Harmful drug interactions, memory problems, liver problems

Depression is socially isolating, and has been linked to health problems like memory loss. It can lead to alcohol abuse, which can lead to many other health problems. Excess drinking can complicate health conditions like diabetes, and can negatively interact with certain medications.

Medicare covers the cost of one alcohol misuse screening and one depression screening each year. Seniors who qualify can receive four free face-to-face counseling sessions per year for alcohol abuse.

Mammograms

Detects or Prevents: Breast cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute, one in every 28 women will develop breast cancer between the ages of 60 and 70. Women ages 65 and older pay around $23,000 for treatment during the first year after a breast cancer diagnoses.

While the cost of treatment is substantial, most seniors don’t have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for a mammogram to screen for breast cancer. Medicare covers the cost of one mammogram every 12 months for women ages 40 and older.

Glaucoma Tests

Detects or Prevents: Blindness

With glaucoma and macular degeneration you may have no symptoms until you can’t see. These are two conditions that can be easily screened.

Medicare typically does not cover eye examinations with the exception of glaucoma tests. The government will pay for one screening every 12 months for people who fall into high-risk categories:

·         Patients with diabetes

·         Family history of glaucoma

·         African Americans aged 50 or older

·         Hispanics aged 65 and older

These screenings can save you thousands of dollars in hospital stays and medical bills, but most importantly can help save your life and quality of life you lead. Apply online for a free Medicare quote from GetBestMedicare.com today.