Preventive, no-cost health services that Medicare has been offering since January so far aren't attracting many Utahns, probably because they are new, officials say.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services report the services, meant to stave off chronic diseases that can cost billions of dollars to treat, have attracted nearly 19 million people nationwide.

But in the Beehive State, only a small fraction of those who pay for Medicare Part B, which makes them eligible for a free annual wellness exam, had received one as of the end of August.

Darren Hotton, manager of the Utah State Health Insurance Program for the Division of Aging Services, has spent the past couple of weeks traveling around counties educating residents about the new benefits, which were part of President Barack Obama's health reform law, the Affordable Care Act.

"The seniors just aren't sure how it works. It's not on their list of things to do," he said. "They're shocked. They're not used to Medicare providing preventive medicine."

Salt Lake City resident Colleen Martinez, chatting with friends Monday at the Friendly Neighborhood Senior Center, said that although she goes to a doctor regularly, she wasn't aware of which services are free.

"I'd use them if I knew about them," she said. "I need a list. No one's ever given a list."

Joyce Weber said the list of free exams and screenings ought to be posted in senior centers.

"I don't know about the services," she said. "All of my friends go to the doctor. I don't know why the doctors aren't telling them."

But Glenda Nielsen said she does take advantage of the free Medicare services and advised others to do so, too.

Under the Affordable Care Act, new enrollees to traditional Medicare are entitled to a "Welcome to Medicare" baseline physical exam. Anyone who has been on Medicare Part B for at least 12 months may receive several different types of free wellness exams and screenings. For other services, Medicare Part B generally pays 80 percent of covered treatments and checkups.

Generally, Medicare covers hospitalization costs and Part B, which has a premium, covers doctor's visits.

Federal officials have tracked billing for the no-cost services and say that of the 162,425 Utahns on Medicare Part B for at least a year, 79,705 — 45.2 percent — have availed themselves of at least some of the services.

But just 5,666 eligible Utahns — 3.5 percent — have received annual wellness exams.

"Like most benefits," said Medicare spokesman Mike Fierberg, "it takes a while for people to understand what they are and what they can do." —

Utahns slow to take advantage of new Medicare services

Fewer than half of eligible Beehive State residents have received preventive medicine services offered under the Affordable Care Act, and only 3.5 percent have gotten their free annual wellness visits. —

Medicare's free preventive services

As of January's implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the following no-cost services are either new, newly waived or had no co-insurance or deductiblepayment required in the past for Medicare Part B recipients:

Welcome to Medicare exam

Annual wellness visit

Bone mass measurement

Nutrition therapy

Pap test

Pelvic exam

Mammogram

Vaccines: Pneumococcal and Hepatitis B

Screenings:

Cardiovascular

Colorectal cancer

Diabetes

HIV

Prostate cancer

Abdominal aortic aneurysm