Discover the Top 12 Surprising and Entertaining Facts About Medicare You Never Knew!

1. Free Alcohol Counseling Sessions

Hey bartender, how about a shot of free therapy? Put it on Medicare's tab! You know what they say, laughter is the best medicine, but when it comes to alcohol, a chat with your doc might just cure what ails you: Medicare Part B actually covers up to four brief face-to-face counseling sessions each year for adults who misuse alcohol but don't meet the criteria for dependency, provided by primary care providers in settings like a doctor's office – all at no cost to you if your provider accepts assignment!
Source => medicare.gov

2. Medicare's Birth in 1965

In a classic case of better late than never: Medicare sprung to life in 1965 after President Lyndon B. Johnson finally signed it into law, even though Harry Truman had made a rather audacious attempt to introduce a comprehensive federal health insurance bill back in November 1945, facing formidable opposition along the way.
Source => senate.gov

Did you know that nail-biting can actually affect your oral hygiene? A study found that chronic nail-biters have a higher plaque index and more harmful bacteria in their mouth. Don't miss out on this intriguing fun fact! 🦠💅

=> Fun Facts about Health

3. Standardized Medigap Plans

If Shakespeare were shopping for health insurance, he'd quickly declare, "To be a Medigap plan, or not to be... the same: that is the consistency!": All Medicare Supplemental Insurance plans, also known as Medigap, are standardized across insurance companies. That means benefits from each lettered plan, like Plan G or Plan K, are precisely the same regardless of the provider, making it a veritable choose-your-own-bardventure to find the perfect coverage without worrying about any mischievous hidden variations.
Source => medicare.gov

4. Obesity Screening & Therapy Coverage

Calling all members of the diet-trying, ab-crunching, and weight-won't-budge club: it's time for a rendezvous with Medicare's magic trick for your waistline woes! Fret not, our dear pudding-paunching pals, as Medicare Part B is at your service to swoop you away from the clutches of obesity: it offers absolutely free obesity screening and behavioral therapy sessions, to those with a BMI of 30 or more, provided by your primary care doctor in a primary care setting. These sessions involve everything from dietary assessment to counseling, all to help you shed those pesky pounds through a more informed regimen of diet and exercise!
Source => medicare.gov

5. Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Support

When it comes to heart health, Medicare is shockingly supportive: It covers the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) for specific patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmia, cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation, a low left ventricular ejection fraction, or those with genetic disorders at high risk of life-threatening tachyarrhythmias, as long as an evidence-based, shared decision-making encounter takes place.
Source => cms.gov

6. Lift Chair Mechanism Payment

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade; when arthritis gives you trouble, make Medicare pay for your lift chair mechanism: Surprisingly, Medicare will cover the cost of a lift chair mechanism if it's a medical necessity, as long as you have a physician's prescription stating its necessity, a completed Certificate of Medical Necessity for Seat Lift Mechanisms Form, and suffer from severe arthritis of the hip or knee, or a severe neuromuscular disease rendering you unable to stand up without assistance.
Source => humana.com

7. Medicare Spending Breakdown

Hospital bills doing the cha-cha all the way to the top of Medicare's wallet, while physician services tango at a close second, and managed care waltzes in last place: Since 1965, Medicare has consistently shelled out the most funding for hospital services, trailed by physician services and managed care, with the addition of Part D prescription drug benefits shaking up the dance floor in the future.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

8. Gender-neutral Medicare Coverage

Hey, guess what? In the Medicare Battle Royale, it doesn't matter if you've got an X or a Y chromosome, because everyone's fighting on the same team: Medicare coverage is individual and not determined by gender! That's right, folks - regardless if you're strutting your stuff like Beyoncé or Eminem, your benefits are based purely on your age, eligibility, and income. So put away those boxing gloves and unite in your mutual coverage conquest!
Source => webmd.com

9. Dental Coverage Dilemma

Who knew the tooth fairy skipped Medicare beneficiaries? Seems grannies and grandpas can't cash in on pearly whites after all: As of 2019, an astounding 24 million Medicare beneficiaries lack dental coverage, with half of them not visiting a dentist for the past year, especially those at lower incomes and in poor health. Despite expanding coverage discussions, dental benefits remain severely limited in Medicare.
Source => kff.org

10. Late Enrollment Penalties

You snooze, you lose, but with Medicare, it's more like "You snooze, you pay!": If you miss your initial enrollment period, you'll have to cough up a monthly late enrollment penalty for Part B coverage, and the longer you wait, the more you'll end up paying. But fear not, dear procrastinators! There are situations where you can sign up without penalty, like losing Medicaid coverage or being affected by pesky natural disasters. Just remember to get your ducks in a row and dodge those unnecessary fees!
Source => medicare.gov

11. Hip Replacement Surgery & Savings

Breaking a hip may be no laughing matter, but chuckling your way to a better quality of life is possible with the right kind of medical coverage: Medicare not only covers hip replacement surgery costs but also allows seniors to save on medical equipment through loan programs and medical thrift shops, with supplemental insurance plans like Medigap further reducing out-of-pocket expenses.
Source => goodrx.com

12. Medicare's Popularity in 2020

Though Medicare does not keep going and going like the Energizer Bunny in constant pursuit of eternal coverage, it certainly knows how to throw a nationwide party for healthcare enthusiasts: In 2020, a whopping 18.4 percent of the U.S. population was covered by Medicare for some or all of the year, making it the nation's second most popular insurance dance partner!
Source => census.gov