Medicare and preventive health care. Little cost. Big perks.

What's one of the best ways to keep active and feeling well?

Preventive health care.

But some people don't see the need when they're feeling fine, and don't want to spend the time or money going to appointments.

If that sounds like you, consider this. Preventive health care — including your role in following your doctor's advice — can help you:

Avoid high medical expenses

• Preventive health care can catch diseases early, which can reduce the cost of treatment.
• Or, it can let you and your doctor know about things to work on, which could prevent future diseases (and related medical expenses) altogether.

Improve your health in the long-term

• Some tests and screenings can help your doctor find problems early before they cause bigger health issues.
• And regular wellness checkups mean, for example, regular blood pressure readings. If yours is starting to go up, your doctor will recommend ways you can lower it. Sometimes, it's just a matter of making dietary changes and getting more exercise.

Increase your life span

• Serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, can cut into your life span. If your doctor advises that you lose weight, follow his or her weight management plan for you. By losing the recommended amount of weight — and keeping it off — you have a better chance of fending off life-limiting conditions.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Don't let cost be an obstacle. Many health plans, including Medicare, pay for some preventive tests.

If you're on Medicare, thumb through pages 29-54 in your "Medicare & You 2022" booklet or the online PDF to see what Part B (your medical insurance) covers.

Within these pages, look for the apple symbol to read up on the preventative services.

Here are just a few examples of what you'll find:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings
• Bone mass measurements
• Cardiovascular disease screenings
• Colorectal cancer screenings
• Counseling to prevent tobacco use & tobacco-caused disease
• Depression screening
• Diabetes screenings
• Diabetes self-management training
• Lunch cancer screenings

The booklet contains much more information. Your doctor, who knows your health and disease risk factors best, can recommend the tests or screenings you should have.

And don't forget about these two visits

You'll also want to take advantage of your "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit and your yearly "Wellness" visit.

• Welcome to Medicare
  If you're new to Medicare, the Welcome to Medicare preventive visit is offered during the first 12 months you have Part B.

  It includes a review of your medical and social history related to your health. It also includes education and counseling about preventive services, including certain screenings, shots or vaccines, and referrals for other care, if needed.

• Annual Wellness visit
  You're also entitled to a yearly Wellness visit if you've had Part B for longer than 12 months. The visit isn't a physical exam, but it gives you the opportunity to work with your health care provider to develop or update your personalized health plan to prevent disease or disability.

If you don't already keep up on your preventive health care, look into Medicare or your health plan's preventive care services. Take advantage of as many of them as you can to give yourself a better chance to keep feeling good, increase your life span, and save money along the way.