Alcohol misuse screenings & counseling

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)

covers an alcohol misuse screening once per year if you’re an adult (including a pregnant person) who uses alcohol, but you don’t meet the medical criteria for alcohol dependency. If your primary care doctor or other primary care provider determines you’re misusing alcohol, you can get up to 4 brief face-to-face counseling sessions each year (if you’re competent and alert during counseling).

How often

Medicare covers an alcohol misuse screening once each year.

Your costs in Original Medicare

You pay nothing if the qualified primary care doctor or other primary care provider accepts

assignment

.

Note:

Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend you get services more often than Medicare covers. Or, they may recommend services that Medicare doesn’t cover. If this happens, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. Ask questions so you understand why your doctor is recommending certain services and if, or how much, Medicare will pay for them.

Things to know

A qualified primary care doctor or other primary care provider must provide the counseling in a primary care setting (like a doctor’s office).