National polling: Large percentages of Medicare patients unaware about their preventive health benefits
A recent national poll from the PAN Foundation finds one-in-three (33 percent) Medicare beneficiaries say they do not know what preventive health screenings are covered by Medicare Part B medical insurance. In addition, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents did not correctly identify all five screenings listed in the survey that are covered by Part B.
Other key findings include:
- The overwhelming majority (97 percent) of Medicare beneficiaries could not correctly identify all six of the services listed in the survey that may be included in Medicare “wellness” visits.
- Three-in-four (75 percent) incorrectly said the “wellness” visit includes a physical exam, which it does not.
- Most (86 percent) Medicare beneficiaries could not correctly identify that all eight of the tested services listed in the survey that may be included in Medicare preventative visits.
- Most (71 percent) Medicare beneficiaries correctly identified all five vaccines that no longer require cost-sharing under Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage.
“Our latest poll sheds light on the need to improve education and awareness about the life-saving preventive health benefits patients enrolled in Medicare have access to,” said Amy Niles, Chief Mission Officer at the PAN Foundation. “Depending on the plan they are enrolled in, Medicare patients have access to a myriad of preventive services each year, which range from screenings for cancer, depression, and cardiovascular disease to cholesterol and blood pressure testing, and free vaccinations. We must do more to increase understanding and utilization of these benefits because prevention is paramount.”
These findings once again highlight the important role patient education and health literacy play in improving healthcare access for all. As a leading patient advocacy and charitable patient assistance foundation, the PAN Foundation is committed to doing our part to ensure patients—and their caregivers and healthcare professionals—fully understand their Medicare benefits, so they can take steps toward living their healthiest lives.
Additional resources:
Polling methodology: This poll was conducted between February 15-17, 2024, among a sample of 2,202 adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age, and race by educational attainment. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
About the PAN Foundation
The PAN Foundation is an independent, national 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to helping federally and commercially insured people living with life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases with the out-of-pocket costs for their prescribed medications.
Since 2004, we have provided more than 1.1 million underinsured patients with $4 billion in financial assistance. Partnering with generous donors, healthcare providers and pharmacies, we provide the underinsured population access to the healthcare treatments they need to best manage their conditions and focus on improving their quality of life. Learn more at panfoundation.org.