Every person is unique, so they need individual healthcare! For anyone covered by Medicare Part B getting an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a crucial part of getting the correct, unique, care they need.
You’ll be eligible for your first visit once you’ve had part B for 12 months. The goal of your first visit is to develop your personalized prevention plan. Your doctor will want to get in-depth on your and your family’s medical history. A personalized prevention plan covers many aspects of your health and includes a plan for the next 5-10 years so there will be a lot to go over.
While Medicare doesn’t cover a routine check-up, some parts of your AWV will be very similar to a routine check-up. They will get your weight, vitals, and other routine measurements. They may also measure things like sight and balance to access your functional ability and level of safety.
Another important part of an AWV is mental health screenings. Medicare doesn’t require specific screenings but your doctor will use their best judgment and any reports by you and your family to assess your mental health and determine any appropriate tests. Mental health and cognitive ability are just as important as our physical health.
After all the appropriate questionnaires and screenings are complete your personalized prevention plan. This plan will outline the next consultations and diagnostics your doctor recommends. On top of this, your doctor may have other advice to minimize any risks they have identified and promote overall wellness.
After your first AWV, you will be eligible every 12 months for another one. Ensuring that you get one every year will keep your prevention plan up-to-date and make sure any health issues that pop up between visits are accounted for and proper action is taken to remedy them. Just remember, you are only eligible for another AWV one year on Medicare Part B and at least one year after your previous AWV.
Your subsequent AWVs will be a similar, but more pared down, experience to your first one. Your doctor will just want to get any updates on the information they gathered from the last visit and to offer you the best path for your health moving forward.
One of the best parts of an AWV is that they are covered entirely by Medicare. They are offered with no deductable or co-pay meaning absolutely no cost to the patient. AWV are so important to Medicare recipients and keeping the system run smoothly that recipients are very incentiviezed to recieve theirs.
Keep in mind, there are circumstances where things discovered during your AWV will require additional screening and treatment that may not be 100% covered by Medicare. But any aditional treatments or diagnostics would be brought to your attention by your physician and any additional costs should be made apparent to you.
If you or a loved one recieve coverage under Medicare Part B getting your AWV is crucial to your coverage and ensuring your health, today and in the future!