Medicare and Women’s Health

Aug. 2, 2010 - PRLog -- Just because you’re a woman over the age 65, doesn’t mean you should stop your annual preventative checkups. Female health is just as important (if not more so) in your twilight years. That’s why Medicare covers screening mammograms, bone mass measurements, screening pap tests and screening pelvic exams.

Older Women Can Take Steps to a Longer and Healthier Life

“You’re never too old to start taking better care of yourself,” suggests Alan Weinstock, an insurance broker at www.MedicareSupplementPlans.com. So if you have been neglecting your health, now is the time to make it a top priority.

Here is a list of what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health suggests women do to stay healthy:

Get at least 2 ½ hours of moderate physical activity, 1 ¼ hours of vigorous physical activity or a combination of both each week
Eat a nutritious diet
Avoid risky behaviors such as smoking
Pay attention to mental health by getting plenty of sleep and managing stress
Visit your health care professionals to receive regular check ups

Part of your regular check up should include visiting your doctor for preventative screenings.

Medicare Coverage for Senior Women

Medicare covers one Pap test and pelvic exam every two years for women who are at low risk for cervical cancer and one Pap test and pelvic exam every year for women who are considered at high risk for cervical cancer.

Because breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer, every woman is at risk. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 94% of breast cancers are diagnosed in women over the age of 40. The good news is that timely screening can reduce breast cancer mortality in women over 40 by 17% to 30%. Therefore, women also need to continue receiving annual mammograms.

Medicare covers your annual mammogram screening. You don’t need a doctor’s referral or a prescription.

The final preventative screening that older women need to get is bone mass measurements (or bone density studies). It is a painless test that identifies bone mass, detects bone loss, determines bone quality and evaluates diseases of the bone and their responses to treatment. This is particularly important considering that 80% of Americans with osteoporosis are women and the older you are the more at risk you are. But osteoporosis can be prevented. Early diagnosis and treatment can reduce or prevent fractures from occurring.

Medicare covers bone mass measurements every 24 months for women who are estrogen-deficient, have vertebral abnormalities or known primary hyperparathyroidism, certain individuals receiving steroid therapy or individuals receiving FDA-approved osteoporosis drug therapy.

“It’s all about prevention,” says Alan. But isn’t that what insurance is all about anyway? Whether you have Original Medicare with a Medicare supplement insurance or a Medicare Advantage plan, it’s important for women to take care of their health.