Does Medicare Cover an EKG?
Yes. Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) tests. It pays for a one-time routine EKG screening if your doctor gives you a referral during your "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit, and it covers EKGs more often as a diagnostic test whenever your doctor orders one to find or treat a medical problem and it is medically necessary. After you meet the annual Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, plus a possible extra copayment if the test is done in a hospital outpatient setting.
Which part of Medicare covers an EKG?
An EKG (also written ECG) records the electrical activity of your heart to check its rhythm and look for problems. Under Original Medicare, EKG tests are covered by Part B, which is the part that pays for doctor visits, outpatient care, and diagnostic tests. EKGs fall under Medicare's category of diagnostic non-laboratory tests when a provider orders one to diagnose or treat a condition.
Part A (Hospital Insurance) generally would not be the part paying for a routine outpatient EKG. Part A covers care when you are formally admitted as a hospital inpatient. To get EKG coverage, you must be enrolled in Part B, which has a standard monthly premium of $202.90 in 2026.
- Part B covers EKG screening and diagnostic EKG tests.
- You must be enrolled in Part B for this coverage to apply.
- An EKG is treated as a diagnostic non-laboratory test under Part B.
Screening EKG vs. diagnostic EKG: how often Medicare pays
Medicare treats EKGs in two ways, and the rules for how often it pays are different for each.
Routine screening EKG: Medicare covers a one-time routine EKG screening, but only if your doctor or provider gives you a referral for it during your one-time 'Welcome to Medicare' preventive visit. That preventive visit is available only once, within the first 12 months you have Part B, so the screening EKG referral is tied to that early window.
Diagnostic EKG: Beyond that single screening, Medicare covers an EKG as a diagnostic test whenever your doctor orders it to find or treat a medical problem and it is medically necessary. There is no fixed annual limit on diagnostic EKGs — Medicare pays based on medical need, so you can have more than one in a year if your doctor orders them.
- Screening EKG: covered once, with a referral from your Welcome to Medicare visit.
- Diagnostic EKG: covered as often as medically necessary when ordered to find or treat a problem.
- A pre-operative EKG ordered by your doctor before surgery is generally treated as a medically necessary diagnostic test.
How much does an EKG cost with Medicare in 2026?
For both the screening and diagnostic EKG under Part B, after you meet your annual Part B deductible you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. In 2026 the Part B deductible is $283 per year. Once you have met that deductible, the 20% coinsurance is your share for the test.
Where you have the test matters. If the EKG is done at a hospital or a hospital-owned clinic (an outpatient hospital setting), you may also owe the hospital a separate copayment on top of the 20% coinsurance. That is why the same test can cost more at a hospital than in a doctor's office.
About the Welcome to Medicare visit: the preventive visit itself costs you nothing if your provider accepts assignment. But if an EKG is ordered or performed during or after that visit, the EKG is a separate test — the Part B deductible and the 20% coinsurance can apply to it. The free visit does not make the EKG free.
- Part B deductible (2026): $283 per year — you pay this first.
- Coinsurance: 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the deductible.
- Hospital outpatient setting: an extra hospital copayment may apply.
- Welcome to Medicare visit: $0 for the visit itself, but the EKG can still cost you the deductible plus 20%.
Medicare Advantage, prior authorization, and Medigap
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans must cover everything Original Medicare Part A and Part B cover, so they also cover EKG/ECG tests. However, your out-of-pocket cost — such as a flat copay versus coinsurance — is set by the plan and can differ from Original Medicare. Some Medicare Advantage plans may also require prior authorization or that you use in-network providers, so check your plan's rules and Evidence of Coverage before your test.
Original Medicare itself does not generally require prior authorization for a standard diagnostic EKG ordered by your doctor. Prior authorization, when it applies, is more common with Medicare Advantage plans and varies by plan.
If you have Original Medicare and a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy, your Medigap plan can help pay the 20% coinsurance you would otherwise owe for a covered EKG, and depending on the plan it may also cover the Part B deductible. What is covered depends on which Medigap plan letter you have, so confirm with your policy.
- Medicare Advantage covers EKGs; copays and prior-authorization rules vary by plan.
- Original Medicare generally does not require prior authorization for a doctor-ordered diagnostic EKG.
- Medigap can help pay the 20% coinsurance; coverage depends on your plan letter — check your policy.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare cover a routine (screening) EKG?
Yes, but only once. Medicare covers a single routine EKG screening if your doctor gives you a referral for it during your one-time 'Welcome to Medicare' preventive visit, which is available only within your first 12 months on Part B. After meeting the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.
Is the EKG during the Welcome to Medicare visit free?
Not necessarily. The Welcome to Medicare preventive visit itself costs nothing if your provider accepts assignment. But an EKG ordered or performed during or after that visit is a separate test, so the Part B deductible and the 20% coinsurance can apply to it.
How often will Medicare pay for an EKG?
Medicare covers one routine screening EKG (with a referral from your Welcome to Medicare visit). Beyond that, it covers diagnostic EKGs as often as your doctor orders them to find or treat a medical problem, as long as each is medically necessary. There is no fixed annual limit on diagnostic EKGs.
Why do I owe extra when I get an EKG at a hospital?
If your EKG is done at a hospital or a hospital-owned clinic, Medicare counts it as an outpatient hospital service. In that setting you may owe a separate hospital copayment in addition to the usual 20% coinsurance, which is why the same test can cost more there than in a doctor's office.
Does Medicare Advantage cover EKGs, and is prior authorization required?
Yes. Medicare Advantage plans must cover everything Original Medicare covers, including EKG tests. Your copay or coinsurance is set by the plan and may differ from Original Medicare, and some plans require prior authorization or in-network providers. Check your plan's Evidence of Coverage before the test.
Will a Medigap plan help pay the 20% EKG coinsurance?
Often, yes. If you have Original Medicare plus a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy, it can help pay the 20% coinsurance for a covered EKG, and some plans also cover the Part B deductible. What is covered depends on your Medigap plan letter, so confirm with your policy.
Sources
Related guides
Medicare Login Guide is an independent resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or any government agency. This article is for general information only — confirm current figures and your specific options at medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.