Are you taking advantage of Medicare Annual Wellness Visits? If not, you should.
If you’ve had Medicare Part B for more than 12 months, you’re entitled to an annual visit with your physician to create or update your personalized wellness plan to keep you feeling healthy for years to come.*
Why schedule an Annual Wellness Visit?
The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) isn’t the same as an annual physical, but it is an important yearly check-in covered by Medicare that can help keep your health on track.
“The annual wellness visit gives you and your physician the opportunity to track any health conditions and monitor your overall wellness, determine your risk for disease and develop a prevention plan to keep you feeling well,” said Joseph Kaliski, MD, an internal medicine physician with Endeavor Health.
“Checking in yearly allows your physician to keep a record of your health over time, which can help prevent disease before it progresses and save you money on physician bills and medication,” Dr. Kaliski said.
One important point to note is the AWVs focus on preventive care. If a new health issue is discovered during an AWV, any diagnostic tests or treatments received during the visit, or in another follow-up appointment, are considered separate from the AWV and would be billed separately.
Schedule your Annual Wellness Visit.
What to expect
Plan to arrive early to your appointment to fill out your pre-visit paperwork and Health Risk Assessment. Answering these questions will help your doctor create a personalized prevention and wellness plan.
During your appointment, your physician will review your routine vitals (height, weight and blood pressure), review your medication, recommend screenings and assess your mental health. The focus is on establishing preventive health goals to prevent future issues and promote long-term health.
“The medication review is really helpful in identifying negative drug interactions, problems taking medications or opportunities to eliminate some medications if no longer needed,” Dr. Kaliski said.
You may see your physician and/or a nurse practitioner or physician assistant (PA).
What to bring
Being organized always makes things easier, and your Annual Wellness Visit is no exception.
Be sure to bring the following to your AWV:
- Completed Health Risk Assessment
- List of medication and supplements you’re currently taking
- Your immunization records, if your provider doesn’t already have them
- A list of any questions you want to ask
With all the information you need to track, it might help to keep a notebook dedicated to your healthcare. Include sections for medications, physicians, visit dates and details, screenings and family history information.
Finish off your visit by scheduling next year's AWV. Staying consistent with healthcare visits will help you stay ahead of potential health issues, avoid disability and ensure you don’t miss important screenings.
*For those in the first 12 months of their Medicare Part B plan, Medicare offers a “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit. Learn more.
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