27 Free Preventive Screenings, Tests, and Shots From Medicare

Originally published September 2018. Updated September 2021 to include information about COVID-19 coverage.

Have you taken advantage of the preventive screenings Medicare covers? What about the tests and shots that are completely free?‍

Here’s a list of the 27 preventive tests, screenings, and shots that Medicare covers at no cost to you.

1) Flu Shots

‍Medicare covers flu shots!

Under Medicare Part B, you can get one flu shot per flu season.

2) Hepatitis B Shots

In order to get the Hepatitis B shot, you do need to meet some eligibility criteria which puts you at medium or high risk for Hep B. This includes:

• You have hemophilia.
• You have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
• You have diabetes.
• You live with someone who has Hepatitis B.
• You're a healthcare worker and have frequent contact with blood or bodily fluids.

3) Pneumococcal Shots

The pneumococcal shots help prevent pneumococcal infections (like certain types of pneumonia). The two shots protect against different strains of the bacteria. Medicare covers the first shot at any time, and also covers a different second shot if it’s given one year (or later) after the first shot.

4) COVID-19 Vaccine

With Medicare, you pay nothing for the COVID-19 vaccine. No deductibles, no copays, and no coinsurance.

Plus, if you have a disability or face other challenges in getting to a location away from home for a vaccination, Medicare will pay a doctor or other care provider to give you the COVID-19 vaccine in your home.

5) COVID-19 Tests

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers a test to see if you have coronavirus (officially called coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19). You will pay nothing for the COVID-19 test when you get it from a lab, pharmacy, doctor, or hospital.

6) COVID-19 Antibody Test

The COVID-19 antibody test, an FDA-authorized test, helps see if you’ve developed an immune response and may not be at immediate risk of COVID-19 reinfection. Medicare Part C covers this test in full – you pay nothing for it.

7) COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatments

If you test positive for COVID-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms, monoclonal antibody treatments can help fight the disease and keep you out of the hospital.

This FDA-authorized treatment involves an infusion of monoclonal antibodies (specifically bamlanivimab, or casirivimab and imdevimab) to treat COVID-19.

You pay nothing for this treatment during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency when you get the treatment from a Medicare provider or supplier. Keep in mind you must test positive for COVID-19, have mild to moderate symptoms, and be at a high risk of progressing to a severe care of COVID-19.

8) Bone mass measurement test

One bone mass measurement test is covered every 2 years for people who meet the following requirements.:

• A woman whose doctor determines both of these (based on her medical history and other findings):
• She's estrogen deficient
• She's at risk for osteoporosis
• A person whose X-rays show possible osteoporosis, osteopenia, or vertebral fractures
• A person taking prednisone or steroid-type drugs or is planning to begin this treatment
• A person who has been diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism
• A person who is being monitored to see if their osteoporosis drug therapy is working

9) Obesity screening & counseling

If you have a BMI of 30 or above, Medicare will cover face-to-face, individual behavioral counseling sessions to help you lose weight. This counseling is only covered if you get it in a primary care setting (like a doctor's office).

[RELATED: Losing Weight After 60 Is Hard – Here Are 9 Ways to Drop the Pounds]

10) Diabetes screenings

Find out if you have diabetes by taking advantage of the free diabetes screening through Medicare Part B. The test is covered if you have:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• History of abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels (dyslipidemia)
• Obesity
• History of high blood sugar (glucose)

Part B also covers these tests if 2 or more of these apply to you:

• Age 65 or older
• Overweight
• A family history of diabetes (parents, brothers, sisters)
• History of gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or delivery of a baby weighing more than 9 pounds

[RELATED: Can I still get Medicare Supplement Insurance if I have diabetes?]

11) Preventive visit & yearly wellness exams

The preventive visit is free if you schedule it within the first year that you have Medicare Part B. During this visit, you get basic preventive services such as a flu shot, a vision test, blood pressure measurement, and more.

The yearly wellness visit is free after you’ve had Part B for more than a year. During this visit, your doctor or physician will have you fill out a Health Risk Assessment to help prevent disease and disability for the future. This visit is free once per year.

12) Mammograms

A screening mammogram is covered once a year. You can also get a diagnostic mammogram when it’s medically necessary, but you will have to pay the 20% coinsurance as well as your Part B deductible if it hasn’t been met yet.

13) Sexually transmitted infections (STI) screening & counseling

If you’re at an increased risk for an STI, and your doctor orders the test, you can get tested for the following once a year at no cost:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Syphilis
• Hepatitis B

Medicare also covers up to 2 individual 20-30 minute, face-to-face, high-intensity behavioral counseling sessions each year. These are covered for sexually active adolescents and adults at increased risk for STIs, if referred by a doctor.

14) Depression screenings

You have access to one depression screening per year at no cost, as long as that screening happens in a primary care setting, like your doctor’s office.

15) Cardiovascular disease (behavioral therapy)

Medicare covers one visit per year to help you lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.

During the visit, you can expect your doctor to discuss aspirin use (if appropriate), check your blood pressure, and give you tips to make sure you're eating well.

16) Cervical & vaginal cancer screenings

Pap tests and pelvic exams that check for cervical and vaginal cancer are covered once every 2 years for all women. If you’re at high risk for cervical or vaginal cancer, you can be checked once a year for free.

17) Counseling to stop smoking or using tobacco products

If you need help to stop smoking, Medicare Part B covers up to 8 face-to-face visits per year.

[RELATED: The Real Cost of Smoking Cigarettes: How Being a Tobacco User Affects Your Insurance Rates]

18) Hepatitis C screening test

Medicare covers one Hepatitis C screening test and yearly repeat screening for certain people at high risk.

You’re eligible if you meet one of these conditions:

• Those at high risk because they use or used illicit injection drugs.
• Those who had a blood transfusion before 1992.
• Those born between 1945-1965.

19) Nutrition therapy services

As long as your doctor refers you to a Registered Dietitian or nutrition professional, you can get an initial nutrition and lifestyle assessment, individual and/or group nutrition therapy services, and follow-up visits to check on your progress in managing your diet.

Medicare Part B covers this for people who have diabetes, kidney disease, or a kidney transplant in the last 36 months.

20) Prostate cancer screenings

Under Medicare Part B, you can receive a digital rectal exam and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test once a year. For the digital rectal exam, you do have some costs, such as the 20% coinsurance and your deductible.

However, the PSA test is free.

21) Alcohol misuse screening & counseling

If you use alcohol and don’t meet the medical criteria for alcohol dependency, you are eligible for a free alcohol misuse screening once a year.

You can get 4 brief face-to-face counseling sessions per year if these apply:

• Your primary care doctor determines you're misusing alcohol.
• You're competent and alert during counseling.

22) Cardiovascular disease screenings

Everyone with Part B can be screened for cholesterol, lipid, and triglyceride levels every 5 years. These screenings include blood tests and help detect conditions that may lead to a heart attack or stroke.

23) Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection screening

Assuming you’re a senior and aren’t pregnant, you can get a Hep B screening once per year if you’re at high risk and don’t get the vaccination. Your doctor does need to order it.

24) Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

Medicare Part B covers a one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound. You must get a referral for it from your doctor or another practitioner, and you must be at risk. You're considered at risk if you meet one of these criteria:

• You have a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
• You’re a man, age 65 to 75, and have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your lifetime.

25) Colorectal cancer screenings

To help find precancerous growths or cancer early, when treatment is most effective, Medicare Part B covers several types of colorectal cancer screening tests. These are free to anyone who has Part B.

26) HIV screening

HIV screenings are covered once a year for people who meet these guidelines:

• 15-65 years old
• Younger than 15 or older than 65, and at increased risk
• Pregnant (covered up to 3 times during a pregnancy)

27) Lung cancer screening

You’re able to get a lung cancer screening with Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) once per year if you meet all of these conditions:

• You’re 55-77.
• You’re asymptomatic (they don’t have signs or symptoms of lung cancer).
• You’re either a current smoker or have quit smoking within the last 15 years.
• You have a tobacco smoking history of at least 30 “pack years” (an average of one pack a day for 30 years).
• You get a written order from their doctor.

Medicare Advantage and Free Screenings, Tests, and Shots

If you’re in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, you’ll need to contact your plan for a list of covered preventive services.

MA plans must cover all the same preventive services as Original Medicare, and some MA plans may even offer additional services – you just need to ask!