Does Medicare Cover Cancer Treatment?

Original Medicare covers the cost of medically necessary cancer surgery.

Medicare Part A covers the costs of inpatient cancer surgery, other necessary treatments and care in a hospital setting. Medicare Part B covers outpatient cancer surgery.

Cancer surgery works by removing all visible cancer cells from your body. This involves surgically cutting out malignant tumors and nearby healthy tissue to prevent the cancer from spreading.

Medicare Part A also covers certain medical services you may need to recover from cancer-related surgery.

Medicare Part B covers surgery-related medical services and equipment provided outside a hospital setting.

Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D prescription plans cover many of the costs associated with chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy uses chemical substances to treat cancer. It may be used along with surgery, radiation therapy or other procedures to treat cancer.

For treatments covered by Medicare Part B, Medicare pays 80% of the approved chemotherapy costs. You are responsible for the Part B deductible and the remaining 20%.

Medicare Part A covers radiation therapy you receive as a hospital inpatient. Medicare Part B covers it if you receive radiation therapy as an outpatient in a freestanding clinic or other Medicare-approved facility that provides the therapy.

Radiation therapy uses X-rays or similar forms of radiation to treat cancer. The radiation makes small breaks in the DNA inside cancer cells.

The breaks keep the cancer cells from dividing and growing. In successful radiation therapy, the cancer cells die. The therapy can also affect nearby normal cells, but most of those recover.