ADULT Wellness Check Up

ANSWERS

The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a once-a-year appointment with your primary care provider (PCP) to develop or update a personalized prevention plan. Based on your current health and risk factors, this plan may help prevent illness. Keep in mind that the AWV is not a full-body examination. This service is similar to, but distinct from, the one-time Welcome to Medicare preventive visit.

Eligibility

The Annual Wellness Visit is covered by Medicare Part B if:

You’ve had Part B for over a year.
Furthermore, you last received an AWV in the last 12 months.
Furthermore, you cannot receive your AWV during the same calendar year as your Welcome to Medicare preventive visit.

Services that are covered

Your PCP will create your personalized prevention plan during your first Annual Wellness Visit. Your primary care physician may also:

Examine your height, weight, blood pressure, and other standard measurements.
Provide you with a health risk assessment
This could include completing a questionnaire before or during your visit. The questionnaire inquires about your current health status, injury risks, behavioral risks, and immediate health needs.
Examine your functional ability and safety level.
This includes a hearing test and a risk of falling assessment.
Your doctor must also assess your ability to perform daily activities (such as bathing and dressing) and your level of safety at home.
Discover your medical and family history.
Make a list of your current providers, durable medical equipment suppliers (DME), and medications.
Prescription medications, as well as vitamins and supplements, are examples of medications.
Make a written screening schedule or checklist for the next 5-10 years.
Your primary care physician should know your current health status, screening history, and eligibility for age-appropriate, Medicare-covered preventive services.
Screen for cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Medicare does not require doctors to screen you with a test. Instead, doctors are expected to rely on their observations and reports from you and others.
Depression testing
Provide health advice and referrals to health education or preventive counseling services to lower identified risk factors and promote wellness.
Weight loss, physical activity, smoking cessation, fall prevention, nutrition, and other topics may be covered in health education and preventive counseling.
AWVs after your initial visit may differ. Following AWVs, your doctor should:

Examine your weight and blood pressure.
You should revise the health risk assessment you completed.
Maintain your medical and family history records.
Update your current list of medical providers and suppliers.
Keep your written screening schedule up to date.
Examine for cognitive issues
Provide health advice and referrals to health education or preventive counseling services.

ADULT Wellness Check Up

QUESTION

ADULT Wellness Check Up

Annual wellness visit