Short answer up top, then the exact rule. Here's what Original Medicare does and doesn't cover for a colonoscopy in 2026 — and where a Medicare Advantage plan can fill the gap.
Quick answer: Yes — Part B covers a screening colonoscopy, and you pay $0 when your provider accepts assignment. There's no minimum age and no deductible for the screening. One catch: if a polyp or tissue is found and removed during the screening, you pay 15% of the Medicare-approved amount for the provider's services in 2026.
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans must cover the screening colonoscopy at $0 when you use an in-network provider. If a polyp is removed, the plan applies its own cost-sharing, which can differ from the 15% under Original Medicare — check the plan's benefits.
Anyone on Medicare due for colorectal cancer screening. The screening itself is free; the only reason a bill appears is when a polyp is removed during the same procedure, which turns part of it into a diagnostic service with a 15% cost-share for 2026.
See the current Part A, Part B, and Part D numbers — premiums, deductibles, and the new drug cap — in one place. Free, no signup.
See 2026 Medicare Costs →A screening colonoscopy is $0 — no deductible or coinsurance — when your provider accepts assignment. The screening has no minimum age and can be repeated on Medicare's schedule. A cost only appears if a polyp is removed during the procedure.
The procedure becomes diagnostic, so in 2026 you pay 15% of the Medicare-approved amount for the doctor's services (plus a possible copay in a hospital outpatient setting). This polyp-removal cost-share is scheduled to phase down to $0 by 2030.
Coverage gaps in Original Medicare — like a colonoscopy — are exactly what a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan is meant to fill. Our free Enrollment Finder shows the window you can switch in, and the guide library walks through the trade-offs. This page is free to share with anyone weighing their options.
Open the Enrollment Finder →This answer is based on U.S. government Medicare coverage rules: