Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visit: What it Means for You
For more than 40 years, Medicare has provided seniors and people with disabilities with health coverage. Until recently, however, Medicare concentrated on treating beneficiaries’ conditions and diseases when they were already affected rather than emphasizing preventive bare to keep people healthy in the first place. During the visit, you can work with your physician’s office to develop a personalized prevention plan. This plan will help you take advantage of another important benefit – the benefit that allows you to receive free preventive care. These benefits mark a major milestone in Medicare’s efforts to keep beneficiaries healthy, rather than just paying for treatment when they are sick. What is the Annual Wellness Visit? Medicare now covers an annual wellness visit at no cost to you whether you are enrolled in original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan, as long as you receive service from an in-network provider. This visit is an opportunity for you and your physician to develop a personalized prevention plan that takes a comprehensive approach to improving your health and preventing disease. This means that you and your doctor can develop a strategy together to help manage your health care. The annual wellness visit includes:
Routine measurements such as height, weight, blood pressure and BMI
Review of your individual and family medical history
Review of the medications you are currently taking
Discussion of the care you are currently receiving from other health care providers
Review of your functional ability and level of safety, including cognitive impairment as well as depression screening
Discussion of personalized health advice that takes into account your risk factors and specific health conditions or needs including weight loss, smoking cessation, fall prevention and nutrition
Discussion of referrals to other appropriate health education or preventive counseling services that may help you minimize or treat potential health risks
Although the annual wellness visit is not the same thing as an annual physical exam, it gives you an opportunity to discuss your health concerns. After your initial annual wellness visit, you are eligible for a follow-up or subsequent wellness visit every 12 months. Medicare’s wellness visit may seem like a small thing, but it will help you take control of your health care. If you take full advantage of wellness visits, coupled with preventive care, it may mean the difference between sickness and health, and in some cases, life or death.
