Medicare Part B covers voluntary advance care planning, a talk with your doctor about the care you'd want if you couldn't decide for yourself. Medicare.gov says you pay nothing when it's part of your "Welcome to Medicare" or yearly "Wellness" visit and your provider accepts assignment. If it happens as part of other medical treatment, the Part B deductible and 20% coinsurance apply.
What is advance care planning?
Medicare.gov describes it as discussing and preparing for care you'd get in the future if you need help making decisions. You may choose to complete an advance directive, a legal document with your wishes. Medicare.gov says it has 2 parts:
- A health care proxy (sometimes called a durable power of attorney for health care) names someone you trust to make health decisions if you can't.
- A living will describes which treatments you want if your life is threatened, like dialysis, breathing machines, resuscitation, and tube feeding. It can also say whether you want to donate organs or tissues.
Medicare.gov calls the planning voluntary. You don't have to do it.
When do I pay nothing?
Medicare.gov says you pay nothing if:
- The planning is part of your "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit or your yearly "Wellness" visit, and
- Your provider accepts assignment.
So the simplest way to avoid a bill is to bring it up during your wellness visit and ask your provider to include it there.
For how wellness visits are billed, see annual wellness visit vs. physical.
When do I pay the deductible and coinsurance?
Medicare.gov says Medicare may also cover advance care planning as part of your medical treatment. In that case, the Part B deductible and coinsurance apply.
For 2026, CMS lists the Part B deductible at $283. After that, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.
Examples where you may owe a share:
- A regular office visit where you and your doctor discuss your wishes after a new diagnosis.
- A planning talk during a hospital stay or a visit for another problem.
If you have a Medigap plan or other coverage that pays Part B coinsurance, it may cover your share.
How do I keep it at $0?
When you book your wellness visit:
"I'd like to talk about advance care planning at my yearly Wellness visit. Can that be included in the visit?"
At the visit:
"Before we start, I'd like to use part of this Wellness visit for advance care planning."
If you want a separate visit:
"If we schedule a separate visit for advance care planning, will I owe the Part B deductible and 20% coinsurance?"
Asking ahead lets you choose.
Why did I get a bill for advance care planning?
Check the bill and your Medicare Summary Notice:
- Was it during a wellness visit? If so, and your provider accepts assignment, you shouldn't owe for the planning part. Ask the office to check how it was billed.
- Was it during another visit? Then the deductible and coinsurance may apply.
- Did the visit also include other care? If you discussed new problems at a wellness visit, part of the visit may be billed separately. See annual wellness visit vs. physical.
What to say:
"My bill shows a charge for advance care planning on [date]. That was during my yearly Wellness visit. Medicare.gov says I pay nothing for it at a Wellness visit when the provider accepts assignment. Can you check how it was billed?"