Health · Chapter 17 · Parts A & B
Medicare Part B: Medical Insurance
Definition
Optional, monthly premium + annual deductible, then 80/20 — Medicare pays 80% of approved charges with NO out-of-pocket maximum. Covers physicians & surgeons (even inpatient), outpatient services, diagnostics, DME, therapy, preventive care at 100%, clinical lab at 100%. Excludes: dental, vision, hearing, outpatient drugs, routine physicals/foot care, custodial care, cosmetic surgery, acupuncture (narrow exception since 2020: chronic low-back pain, up to 12 visits/90 days, max 20/yr).
Exam tip
Surgeons' fees = Part B even during a hospital stay. Preventive & clinical lab = 100%, everything else 80/20.
Easy to confuse with
These are what this term gets tested against — if you can't tell them apart cold, drill the contrast.
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