If Part A is the hospital, Part B is almost everything else: the doctor's office, the lab, the outpatient clinic, the screening you're overdue for. It's the part of Medicare most people use most often.
What Part B covers
| Type of care | Examples |
|---|---|
| Doctor services | Office visits, specialists, and doctors' services while you're in the hospital |
| Outpatient care | Outpatient surgery, emergency room visits, hospital observation stays |
| Tests | Lab work, X-rays and other diagnostic tests your doctor orders |
| Preventive services | Flu shots, many cancer screenings, a "Welcome to Medicare" visit and a yearly wellness visit |
| Medical equipment | Walkers, wheelchairs, oxygen and other durable medical equipment |
| Other services | Ambulance services, some mental health care, physical therapy |
What you pay
- A monthly premium. Most people pay the standard amount; people with higher incomes pay more. It's often deducted from Social Security benefits.
- A yearly deductible before Part B starts sharing costs.
- 20% coinsurance for most services after the deductible — of the Medicare-approved amount, with no yearly limit under Original Medicare.
The no-limit point matters. Original Medicare has no cap on what you can pay out of pocket in a year. That's the main reason many people add a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, or choose a Medicare Advantage plan, which does have a yearly limit.
What Part B doesn't cover
- Routine dental care and dentures
- Routine eye exams for glasses
- Hearing aids and exams to fit them
- Long-term custodial care
- Most prescription drugs you take at home — that's Part D
Signing up on time
If you don't sign up for Part B when you're first eligible, and you don't have qualifying coverage from current employment, you may pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part B. If you're still working at 65, check how your employer coverage works with Medicare before your initial window closes.
For details on your own coverage, see Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048).
The Medicare cheat sheet
Parts A, B, C and D on a single page, plus the dates that matter this fall. The email version is coming soon.