Medicare Part B is designed to cover outpatient services, ambulance services, and many preventative and rehabilitative services. The existence of Medicare Part D, which is designed to cover a person’s prescription drug costs. Although a person on Medicare cannot expect Part B to cover most of his prescription drug expenses, there are circumstances under which this Medicare part will cover a person’s prescription drug costs.
Most drugs covered under Medicare Part B are drugs that require the intervention of a physician to administer properly. These include immunosuppressant drugs, anti-cancer drugs, anti-emetic drugs, and drugs and dialysis drugs. All other drugs will either be covered by a person’s private prescription drug coverage plan or by Medicare Part D.
Part B also covers some services that fall under non-traditional care or do not fall under the medical care category. A consumer who needs mental health services can find that this part will pay for them, and people who require chiropractic care do not need private health insurance. Of course, X-rays and lab tests are also covered by a person’s monthly premiums.
Medicare Part B covers three pints of blood in a hospital in a year. It also provides durable medical equipment. Durable medical equipment includes IV bags and items that a person may need to maintain quality of life of long-term treatment. If a patient is still in the work force, he can also receive speech rehabilitation or vocation rehabilitation services. The services he can receive each year is limited by an amount set by Medicare each year. A Medicare supplemental insurance plan can extend these benefits, or cover the gaps in a person’s overall health insurance coverage.