Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers the cost of an abdominal aortic screening ultrasound for covered patients who are considered at risk. Anyone aged 65 or older with a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysms, or men between the ages of 65 and 75 who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, are considered at risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
Read on to learn more about AAA and how to schedule a screening.
What is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)?
When the wall of a blood vessel weakens, a balloon-like dilation called an aneurysm sometimes develops. This happens most often in the abdominal aorta, an essential blood vessel that supplies blood to your legs.
Aneurysms can form in any section of the aorta, but they are most common in the belly area, known as abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The aneurysm is the section of the aorta that has become overstretched and weak, and it must be repaired before it bursts and causes internal bleeding.
MSA Offers Free ‘Welcome to Medicare’ AAA Screening
Muskegon Surgical Associates offers a “Welcome to Medicare” physical to at-risk seniors that includes a free, one-time ultrasound/Doppler screening to check for an AAA. Once you have seen your primary care doctor, he/she will refer you and schedule the appointment for testing.
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.
No Insurance? We Can Help
At MSA, we offer affordable and available screening services for the uninsured, underinsured, and those who just want peace of mind. Customers are not required to obtain a physician referral for the screening. Keep in mind the screening is not intended to provide or take the place of a complete diagnostic medical procedure.
The cost for each screening exam is $35.00. Screening services are available every day at our vascular lab; call our scheduling department at (231) 739-1931 to schedule a screening.
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