Medicare Part B covers yearly cognitive screening at a Wellness visit, a separate assessment and care-plan visit for dementia, and medically necessary follow-up tests. Cognitive impairment means noticeable trouble with memory, thinking, concentration, or everyday decisions.
The path starts simple and gets more detailed only if needed. A brief check looks for early warning signs. Further visits and tests confirm a diagnosis and guide care.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Official resources:
- Yearly Wellness visits — Use this page to check the study’s participation requirements.
- Cognitive assessment coverage — Use this primary source to verify the official guidance.
Table of Contents
- What does the yearly Wellness check include?
- What happens if screening raises concern?
- What is the dementia care-planning visit?
- What do follow-up labs and brain scans cost?
What does the yearly Wellness check include?
Medicare Part B covers a yearly Wellness visit that must include a cognitive assessment for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, once every 12 months. The check looks for trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, managing finances, and making everyday decisions, according to Medicare.gov in its Yearly Wellness visits.
You pay nothing if your provider accepts assignment. The Part B deductible does not apply to this preventive benefit, Medicare.gov says on the same coverage page.
What happens if screening raises concern?
If the provider suspects impairment, Medicare covers a separate visit for a more thorough cognitive review. That review can check for dementia as well as depression, anxiety, or delirium. To make that visit useful, prepare a short history to share:.
- examples of memory or thinking changes with dates
- current medicines, sleep, mood, and recent illness
- names of family or helpers who can describe daily function
What is the dementia care-planning visit?
Medicare Part B separately covers a cognitive assessment and care-plan visit to establish or confirm dementia or Alzheimer's and develop a care plan, according to Medicare.gov in its cognitive assessment coverage. After the deductible, you pay 20 percent for this visit.
The visit, coded as CPT 99483, is typically a 50-minute face-to-face history and exam that produces a written care plan. CMS priced the office service at about $282 in its provider letter effective Jan. 1, 2021.
What do follow-up labs and brain scans cost?
Medically necessary follow-up testing is covered under Part B when ordered for diagnosis. Diagnostic laboratory tests usually cost $0, while CT, MRI, X-ray, and PET scans cost 20 percent after the deductible, according to Medicare.gov coverage pages.
For amyloid PET brain imaging, CMS removed national rule NCD 220.6.20 on Oct. 13, 2023, ending coverage-with-evidence-development and the one-scan limit, in its CMS beta-amyloid PET decision. Coverage now depends on your regional Medicare contractor.
