Government
Medicare preventive care lagging
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 14, 2005
Although most Medicare beneficiaries visit a physician regularly, the majority who do so are not receiving all recommended preventive services, such as flu and pneumonia vaccinations, according to a data analysis by the Government Accountability Office. Millions of beneficiaries also may be unaware that they have health conditions, such as high cholesterol, that Medicare-covered screenings are meant to detect.
The January 2005 launch of an initial physical for new Medicare enrollees could begin addressing some of these shortfalls, GAO says. "Covering a one-time preventive care examination does not ensure, however, that beneficiaries will receive the recommended preventive services they need over the long term or consistently improve health or lower costs," the report states.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/03/14/gvbf0314.htm.
