February 3, 2010
February is American Heart Month!
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.[1] Medicare provides coverage for cardiovascular screening blood tests, ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), and smoking and tobacco-use cessation counseling for qualified beneficiaries.
What Can You Do?
As a health care professional who provides care to seniors and others with
Medicare, you can help protect the health of your Medicare patients by
educating them about their risk factors and reminding them of the importance
of Medicare-covered preventive services that are appropriate for them,
including services related to cardiovascular health.
For More Information
CMS has developed several educational products related to Medicare-covered
preventive services:
- The Guide to Medicare Preventive Services for Physicians, Providers, Suppliers, and Other Health Care Professionals - this newly revised comprehensive resource provides coverage and coding information on the array of preventive services and screenings that Medicare covers, including cardiovascular screening blood tests, AAA screenings, and smoking and tobacco-use cessation counseling. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf
- The MLN Preventive Services Educational Products Web Page - provides descriptions and ordering information for Medicare Learning Network (MLN) preventive services educational products and resources for health care professionals and their staff. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp
- Quick Reference Information: Medicare Preventive Services - this double-sided chart provides coverage and coding information on Medicare-covered preventive services, including smoking and tobacco-use cessation counseling, and AAA and cardiovascular screenings. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MPS_QuickReferenceChart_1.pdf
- Expanded Benefits brochure ~ this brochure provides information on coverage for Medicare-covered cardiovascular blood test and AAA screenings. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/expanded_benefits.pdf
- Smoking and Tobacco-Use Cessation Counseling brochure - this brochure provides information on coverage for Medicare-covered smoking and tobacco-use cessation counseling. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/smoking.pdf
Please visit the Medicare Learning Network for more information on these and other Medicare fee-for-service educational products.
For more information on American Heart Month, please visit the American Heart Month website at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4441
Thank you for helping CMS improve the health of patients with Medicare by joining in the effort to educate beneficiaries about the importance of taking advantage of preventive services covered by Medicare.
[1] Heart Disease, Heart Disease Facts. [online]. Atlanta, GA: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 21, 2009 [cited 21 January 2010]. Available from the World Wide Web: (http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm)
