Original Medicare (parts A and B) covers preventive services to help assess your fall risk. Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans may also cover fall prevention programs.

As we age, natural changes in our nervous system can affect our vision, hearing, balance, and movement. Along with health issues, cognitive changes, the effects of medications, and various environmental hazards, this contributes to our chance of experiencing falls.

In fact, the National Institute on Aging reports that each year, more than 1 in 4 people 65 years old and over experience a fall.

Experiencing a fall in older age can not only lead to injury but also cause more long-term complications, so taking steps to prevent the chance of falls can go a long way toward avoiding long-term issues. This can include regular checkups with your doctor to help ensure you’re on the right medication and making helpful lifestyle changes such as staying physically active.

Read on to learn how Medicare can help with fall prevention, including what services are included in coverage and your anticipated costs.

Medicare Part B offers various preventive services that can help reduce fall risk.

For example, when you first enroll in Medicare, you get a “Welcome to Medicare” visit, during which you’ll fill out a “Health Risk Assessment” questionnaire. If you’ve had falls before or have any health issues that might contribute to falls, you can let your doctor know. This will help them create a personalized prevention plan.

After this, you can get continued wellness visits once a year, during which your doctor will review your medical and family history and current prescriptions. The doctor may also want to measure factors like blood pressure or perform a cognitive assessment.

Other medical services covered under Part B that can help reduce fall risk include:

  • Bone mass measurement: You can get tested once every 2 years to see if you’re at risk of broken bones.
  • Cognitive assessment: Medicare Part B generally covers visits with your primary doctor or a specialist, during which they can conduct a cognitive assessment if you’re concerned about any negative changes.
  • Diabetes screening: Diabetes-related issues like nerve damage, foot problems, and reduced vision, along with high blood sugar causing dizziness, can increase your risk of falling. With Part B, you can get two annual screenings for the disease.
  • Vision screening: Although Part B regular eye exams for prescription glasses or contacts, it does cover annual screenings for eye diseases like glaucoma that can affect your vision.
  • Obesity: Having obesity can increase the chance of falling. Part B covers obesity screenings and weight management counseling for a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. It may also cover nutrition therapy if you’re undergoing dialysis, living with diabetes or kidney disease, or if you had a kidney transplant in the past 36 months.
  • Therapies: When medically necessary, you can get physical or occupational therapy under Part B.
  • Durable medical equipment (DME): If your doctor determines it’s medically necessary, you can get a medical device to help you with fall prevention, such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair if you have difficulty with mobility.

Medicare Advantage

When you become eligible for Original Medicare, you have the option of signing up for Medicare Advantage (Part C) instead. Part C plans are private plans that offer all the same benefits as Original Medicare.

This means you can get any prevention screenings and services included under Part B. Some plans may also offer additional benefits, such as regular vision screenings.

In addition, some plans may offer exercise programs, such as SilverSneakers, or programs specifically geared toward fall prevention that help you make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of falling. They may also cover home accommodations or safety devices not covered under Original Medicare.

You’re eligible for Medicare at the age of 65 or earlier if you have certain disabilities. Once you’re enrolled, you are eligible for any of the covered preventive services.

That said, some screenings or tests may be available only if your doctor certifies them medically necessary or you have certain conditions. For example, under DME, if you have diabetic foot disease, Part B may also cover therapeutic shoes or inserts.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to take advantage of Medicare’s wellness visits to understand what kind of support or prevention you need and how you can get it through Medicare. In fact, according to a 2023 study of Medicare enrollees in Texas, people who had an annual wellness visit experienced fewer falls over a 2-year period than those who did not.

Under Part B, your “Welcome to Medicare” and annual “Wellness” visits are fully covered. For other screenings, Part B will pay for 80% of the cost after you’ve met your deductible, which in 2025, is $257. In addition, you also pay a monthly premium, which starts at $185, depending on your income.

On the other hand, Part C plans are managed by private insurers, which means their premiums, deductibles, and copay or coinsurance amounts will differ.

That said, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the average monthly premium for Part C plans is around $17.00 in 2025. It’s also important to remember that with a Part C plan, you still have to pay the Part B premium.

What is included in a fall prevention program?

Fall prevention programs can help you boost your strength, balance, and mobility. They may offer helpful advice on lifestyle changes or habits that can help you stay steady. They may include a review of your medications or home hazard assessments to help make your living space safer.

What are the 5 P’s of fall prevention?

The 5 P’s of fall prevention refers to strategies for healthcare workers to use to help prevent falls in hospitals. These are: pain, personal needs, position, placement, and prevent falls.

Is rolling out of bed considered a fall?

In hospitals or long-term care facilities, if a resident is found on the floor, the facility has to look into what happened and take steps to prevent it from happening again. Staff will assume it was a fall unless proof shows something different.