Q. Can I get routine physical checkups under Medicare?

A.  It depends whether you get your benefits from traditional Medicare or a Medicare private health plan. (Learn more about the differences between the two programs.) Traditional Medicare doesn’t currently cover routine checkups. The exception is the “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam that you can get only within six months of joining Medicare Part B, which covers doctors and outpatient services. (However, under new legislation enacted in mid-July 2008, the six-month grace period will be extended to 12 months, starting in 2009.)  You pay 20 percent of the cost of this one-time exam, which does not cover lab tests.

Medicare private health plans generally cover one routine physical exam per year. Most plans charge no copayment for the exam, as long as you go to a physician in the plan’s network of providers. Others plans typically charge $10 to $35 per exam.