Preventive services are free, but underused
Although Medicare pays for flu and pneumonia vaccinations and mammography and Pap screening, many beneficiaries don't take advantage of the services, reports the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data vary from state to state: In Alabama 46% of people over 65 had a flu shot in 1995 as compared with 70% in Utah. Thirteen percent from New Jersey had pneumonia vaccinations while 49% did in Arizona. The CDC's goal for flu and pneumonia immunization is 60% by the year 2000. The findings indicate, according to CDC officials, that coverage alone does not ensure use.
Reference
1. Use of clinical preventive services by Medicare beneficiaries aged > or = 65 years --- U.S., 1995. MMWR 1997; 46:1138-1143.
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