Medicare Part B covers annual screening mammograms at 100 percent with no deductible for women age 40 and older, even if they have no symptoms. But Medicare does not cover ultrasounds or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests used only for screening purposes without any symptoms or history of breast cancer. You can expect to pay for those yourself.

If your doctor says an ultrasound or MRI is medically necessary to check a symptom or abnormal finding, Medicare will cover 80 percent of the cost (after you’ve met your Part B deductible) and you will pay the remaining 20 percent. If you have Medicare Advantage, your costs might be different, so check your plan.

A new U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule now requires mammogram providers to include information on breast density in their reports to patients because it can affect the accuracy of mammogram results.

Yes, this is a new step put in place by the Social Security Administration to make their website more secure. To sign up for Medicare, or to use other services like checking your earnings or applying for retirement benefits, you now need to create a my Social Security account using ID.me or Login.gov, which are services that help verify your identity. If you created a my Social Security account on or after September 18, 2021, you don’t need to do anything. If your account was created before then, you’ll need to make a new one. Not everyone wants to do this, so you can still call Social Security at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., to schedule a video or in-person appointment to enroll in Medicare. Be sure to call at least three months before you want your Medicare to begin, as it may take several weeks to get an appointment.

It offers the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) for people who are at risk for type 2 diabetes. The program is usually conducted in a group setting and works to prevent type 2 diabetes by focusing on healthy eating, exercise and weight loss. It includes up to 22 sessions over a year, which you can attend in person or online. An MDPP course is available to Medicare Part B enrollees only once in their lifetime. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to join, and it’s free for people with Part B. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, check to find an in-network program. MDPP suppliers can be a doctor’s office, health center or other entity, such as a community center or faith-based organization. You can find local Medicare-certified MDPP services on Medicare’s map of MDPP suppliers.