Is it true that next year Medicare will no longer pay for chemo treatments for cancer patients? Is it also true that, beginning next year, Medicare will pay for one cataract surgery in a person’s lifetime?

No, said Bob Moos, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“No one should rely on hearsay to find out what Medicare covers and doesn’t cover. Medicare has a consumer-friendly website, www.medicare.gov, where anyone can, with a couple of clicks, read an explanation of the particular services that Medicare pays for,” Moos wrote in an email.

“Just click on ‘What Medicare covers’ and again on ‘Is my test, item or service covered?’ to find the coverage description you’re seeking.”

Typing “chemotherapy” in the search box yields the following:

How often is it covered?

Medicare covers chemotherapy for cancer patients who are hospital inpatients and outpatients, as well as for patients in a doctor’s office or freestanding clinic.

Who’s eligible?

All people with Medicare are covered.

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers hospital inpatients and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers hospital outpatients and patients in a doctor’s office or freestanding clinic.

Your costs in Original Medicare

You pay a copayment as a hospital outpatient.

You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount if you get your treatment in a doctor’s office or freestanding clinic.

The results for “cataract surgery”:

Who’s eligible?

Medicare covers many medically necessary surgical procedures, like cataract surgery.

Your costs in Original Medicare

For surgeries or procedures, it’s difficult to know the exact costs in advance because no one knows exactly what services you’ll need. If you’re having surgery or a procedure, you can do some things in advance to figure out approximately how much you’ll have to pay.

1. Ask the doctor, hospital, or facility how much you’ll have to pay for the surgery and any care afterward.

2. Make sure you know if you’re an inpatient or outpatient because what you pay may be different.

3. Check with any other insurance you may have (like a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, Medicaid, or coverage from your or your spouse’s employer) to see what it will pay. If you belong to a Medicare health plan, contact your plan for more information.

4. Visit MyMedicare.gov or look at your last “Medicare Summary Notice” (MSN) to see if you’ve met your deductibles.

• Check your Part A deductible if you expect to be admitted to the hospital.

• Check your Part B deductible for a doctor’s visit and other outpatient care.

• You’ll need to pay the deductible amounts before Medicare will start to pay. After Medicare starts to pay, you may have copayments for the care you get.

For more information on Medicare coverage, call 800-MEDICARE.

Online: www.cms.gov.

The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098, press 5 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com

(mgnonline.com)

Lynne Sladky