2
What’s new &
important?
Medicare
& You
handbook
The official U.S. government Medicare
2024
Medicare strives to improve access to affordable treatments to keep you healthy. Check out what’s new
this year to help you manage your health.
Saving money on your prescription drugs
If you have Medicare drug coverage (Part D) and your drug costs are high enough to reach the
catastrophic coverage phase, you don’t have to pay a copayment or coinsurance. Extra Help—a
program that helps cover your Part D drug costs— expanded to cover more drug costs for certain
people with limited resources and income. Go to pages 83 and 92.
Coinsurance amounts for some Part B-covered drugs may be less if a prescription drug’s price increased
higher than the rate of inflation. Go to page 40.
Lower costs for insulin and vaccines
Your Medicare drug plan can't charge you more than $35 for a one-month supply of each insulin product Part
D covers, and you don’t have to pay a deductible for it. Go to page 88.
If you take insulin through a traditional pump that’s covered under Medicare’s durable medical equipment
benefit, that insulin is covered under Medicare Part B. You won’t pay more than $35 for a month’s supply
and the Medicare deductible no longer applies. Go to pages 39 and 88.
Recommended adult vaccines are also now available at no cost to you. Go to page 50.
,Changes to telehealth coverage
You can still get telehealth services at any location in the U.S., including your home, until the end of 2024.
After that, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area to get most telehealth
services. There are some exceptions, like for mental health services. Go to page 51.
Managing and treating chronic pain
Medicare now covers monthly services to treat chronic pain if you’ve been living with it for more than 3
months. Go to page 34.
Better mental health care
Medicare now covers intensive outpatient program services provided by hospitals, community mental
health centers, and other locations if you need mental health care. Go to pages 46–47.
More times to sign up for Medicare
If you recently lost (or will soon lose) Medicaid, you may be able to sign up for Medicare or change your
current Medicare coverage. There are other special situations that allow you to sign up for Medicare. Go to
page 18.
COVID-19 care
Medicare continues to cover the COVID-19 vaccine, and several tests and treatments to keep you and others
safe. Go to page 37.
Contents
What’s new & important? .........................................................................................................2
Index of topics .............................................................................................................................. 4
What are the parts of Medicare? ...........................................................................................9 Your
Medicare options .............................................................................................................10
At a glance: Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage ...........................................11
Get started with Medicare ......................................................................................................13
Get help finding the right coverage for you ...................................................................14
Section 1: Signing up for Medicare .....................................................................................15
Section 2: Find out what Medicare covers .....................................................................25
Section 3: Original Medicare ................................................................................................57
Section 4: Medicare Advantage Plans & other options .............................................61 Section 5:
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) ...........................................75 Section 6: Medicare
drug coverage (Part D) .................................................................79
Section 7: Get help paying your health & drug costs ................................................91
Section 8: Your Medicare rights & protections ............................................................97 Section
9: Get more information .....................................................................................107 Section 10:
Definitions ..........................................................................................................119
, 3
Need information in an accessible format or another language? Go to pages 123
and 125–126.
Symbol key
Look for these symbols to help you understand your Medicare coverage.
Compare: Shows comparisons between Important!
Original Medicare and
Medicare Advantage Plans.
Cost & coverage: Gives you New!
information about costs and
coverage for services.
Preventive service: Gives you
details about preventive
services.
Important: Highlights information that’s important
to review.
New: Highlights what’s new in this year’s
“Medicare & You.”
Helps you find important information on
Medicare.gov.
, 4 Index of topics
Claims 25, 58–59, 99–100, 102–105, 109
Index of topics Clinical research studies 27, 34, 61
COBRA 18–19, 89
Cognitive assessment 35, 55 Colonoscopies 35–
36
A
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices,
Abdominal aortic aneurysm 30 accessories, & therapy 36
Accessible Communications 123 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) 37,
Accountable Care Organization (ACO) 29, 49, 50
51, 74, 103, 110–111, 119 Cosmetic surgery 56
Acupuncture 30, 87 Cost Plan. Go to Medicare Cost Plans.
Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage 101 Costs (copayments, coinsurance,
Advance care planning 30–31, 35, 55 deductibles, and premiums) Extra Help
Alcohol misuse screenings & counseling 31 paying for Part D 92–94 Medicare
Ambulance services 31, 53 Advantage Plans 64–65
Ambulatory surgical centers 31–32 Original Medicare 58–59
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 15 Appeal 28, 59, Part A and Part B 22–24, 25–56
65, 87, 97–101, 108, 113 Part D late enrollment penalty 83–85
Artificial limbs 49 Counseling to prevent tobacco use &
Assignment 29–33, 35–36, 38–43, 45, tobacco-caused disease 36
47–48, 50, 54–55, 58, 59–60, 65, 119 Coverage determination (Part D) 99–100
Covered services (Part A and Part B) 25–55
B Creditable prescription drug coverage 64, 79, 81,
Balance exam 42 83–85, 89, 94, 119
Barium enema 35
Behavioral health integration services 32,
87
Beneficiary and Family Centered
Care-Quality Improvement
Organizations 100, 113
Benefit period 27, 29, 119
Benefits coordination 22, 89, 90, 113
Bills 23–24, 59, 82, 89, 99, 105
Blood 26, 32–33, 35–36, 38–39, 43, 45, 76
Blood-based biomarker test 36 Blue
Button® 59, 105, 109 Blue Button 2.0®
59, 109
Braces (arm, leg, back, neck) 49
C
Cardiac rehabilitation 33
Catastrophic coverage 81, 83
Cervical and vaginal cancer screenings 33
Chemotherapy 34, 65
Chiropractic services 34
Chronic care management services 34
Chronic pain management and treatment services 34
Note: The bold page numbers have the most details.
What’s new &
important?
Medicare
& You
handbook
The official U.S. government Medicare
2024
Medicare strives to improve access to affordable treatments to keep you healthy. Check out what’s new
this year to help you manage your health.
Saving money on your prescription drugs
If you have Medicare drug coverage (Part D) and your drug costs are high enough to reach the
catastrophic coverage phase, you don’t have to pay a copayment or coinsurance. Extra Help—a
program that helps cover your Part D drug costs— expanded to cover more drug costs for certain
people with limited resources and income. Go to pages 83 and 92.
Coinsurance amounts for some Part B-covered drugs may be less if a prescription drug’s price increased
higher than the rate of inflation. Go to page 40.
Lower costs for insulin and vaccines
Your Medicare drug plan can't charge you more than $35 for a one-month supply of each insulin product Part
D covers, and you don’t have to pay a deductible for it. Go to page 88.
If you take insulin through a traditional pump that’s covered under Medicare’s durable medical equipment
benefit, that insulin is covered under Medicare Part B. You won’t pay more than $35 for a month’s supply
and the Medicare deductible no longer applies. Go to pages 39 and 88.
Recommended adult vaccines are also now available at no cost to you. Go to page 50.
,Changes to telehealth coverage
You can still get telehealth services at any location in the U.S., including your home, until the end of 2024.
After that, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area to get most telehealth
services. There are some exceptions, like for mental health services. Go to page 51.
Managing and treating chronic pain
Medicare now covers monthly services to treat chronic pain if you’ve been living with it for more than 3
months. Go to page 34.
Better mental health care
Medicare now covers intensive outpatient program services provided by hospitals, community mental
health centers, and other locations if you need mental health care. Go to pages 46–47.
More times to sign up for Medicare
If you recently lost (or will soon lose) Medicaid, you may be able to sign up for Medicare or change your
current Medicare coverage. There are other special situations that allow you to sign up for Medicare. Go to
page 18.
COVID-19 care
Medicare continues to cover the COVID-19 vaccine, and several tests and treatments to keep you and others
safe. Go to page 37.
Contents
What’s new & important? .........................................................................................................2
Index of topics .............................................................................................................................. 4
What are the parts of Medicare? ...........................................................................................9 Your
Medicare options .............................................................................................................10
At a glance: Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage ...........................................11
Get started with Medicare ......................................................................................................13
Get help finding the right coverage for you ...................................................................14
Section 1: Signing up for Medicare .....................................................................................15
Section 2: Find out what Medicare covers .....................................................................25
Section 3: Original Medicare ................................................................................................57
Section 4: Medicare Advantage Plans & other options .............................................61 Section 5:
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) ...........................................75 Section 6: Medicare
drug coverage (Part D) .................................................................79
Section 7: Get help paying your health & drug costs ................................................91
Section 8: Your Medicare rights & protections ............................................................97 Section
9: Get more information .....................................................................................107 Section 10:
Definitions ..........................................................................................................119
, 3
Need information in an accessible format or another language? Go to pages 123
and 125–126.
Symbol key
Look for these symbols to help you understand your Medicare coverage.
Compare: Shows comparisons between Important!
Original Medicare and
Medicare Advantage Plans.
Cost & coverage: Gives you New!
information about costs and
coverage for services.
Preventive service: Gives you
details about preventive
services.
Important: Highlights information that’s important
to review.
New: Highlights what’s new in this year’s
“Medicare & You.”
Helps you find important information on
Medicare.gov.
, 4 Index of topics
Claims 25, 58–59, 99–100, 102–105, 109
Index of topics Clinical research studies 27, 34, 61
COBRA 18–19, 89
Cognitive assessment 35, 55 Colonoscopies 35–
36
A
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices,
Abdominal aortic aneurysm 30 accessories, & therapy 36
Accessible Communications 123 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) 37,
Accountable Care Organization (ACO) 29, 49, 50
51, 74, 103, 110–111, 119 Cosmetic surgery 56
Acupuncture 30, 87 Cost Plan. Go to Medicare Cost Plans.
Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage 101 Costs (copayments, coinsurance,
Advance care planning 30–31, 35, 55 deductibles, and premiums) Extra Help
Alcohol misuse screenings & counseling 31 paying for Part D 92–94 Medicare
Ambulance services 31, 53 Advantage Plans 64–65
Ambulatory surgical centers 31–32 Original Medicare 58–59
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 15 Appeal 28, 59, Part A and Part B 22–24, 25–56
65, 87, 97–101, 108, 113 Part D late enrollment penalty 83–85
Artificial limbs 49 Counseling to prevent tobacco use &
Assignment 29–33, 35–36, 38–43, 45, tobacco-caused disease 36
47–48, 50, 54–55, 58, 59–60, 65, 119 Coverage determination (Part D) 99–100
Covered services (Part A and Part B) 25–55
B Creditable prescription drug coverage 64, 79, 81,
Balance exam 42 83–85, 89, 94, 119
Barium enema 35
Behavioral health integration services 32,
87
Beneficiary and Family Centered
Care-Quality Improvement
Organizations 100, 113
Benefit period 27, 29, 119
Benefits coordination 22, 89, 90, 113
Bills 23–24, 59, 82, 89, 99, 105
Blood 26, 32–33, 35–36, 38–39, 43, 45, 76
Blood-based biomarker test 36 Blue
Button® 59, 105, 109 Blue Button 2.0®
59, 109
Braces (arm, leg, back, neck) 49
C
Cardiac rehabilitation 33
Catastrophic coverage 81, 83
Cervical and vaginal cancer screenings 33
Chemotherapy 34, 65
Chiropractic services 34
Chronic care management services 34
Chronic pain management and treatment services 34
Note: The bold page numbers have the most details.
