Updated Program Dates - Medicare: Free "Annual Wellness Visit"

Has it been over a year since you first enrolled in Medicare Part B? Has it been 12 months since you had your "Medicare Initial Preventative Physical Exam", aka "Welcome to Medicare" visit? Then you may be eligible to receive a free preventative wellness exam offered by Medicare to Part B beneficiaries called the "Annual Wellness Visit."

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare can now cover an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), providing Personalized Prevention Plan Services (PPPS) at no cost to the beneficiary*, so that beneficiaries can work with their physicians to develop and update a personalized prevention plan. 

The AWV includes the following key elements: 

• Establishment of the beneficiary's medical and family history.
• Measurement of the beneficiary's height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure, and other routine measurements as deemed appropriate, based on the beneficiary's medical and family history.
• Establishment of a list of current providers and suppliers that are regularly involved in providing medical care to the beneficiary.
• Detection of any cognitive impairment that the beneficiary's may have and any potential risks of depression.
• Review of the beneficiary's functional ability and level of safety, based on direct observation of the beneficiary.
• Establishment of a written screening schedule for the beneficiary, such as a checklist for the next 5 to 10 years.
• Provide personalized health advice to the beneficiary to reduce identified risk factors and manage wellness.

Please note, that the "Annual Wellness Visit" does not include any laboratory tests. Any such tests which may be recommended by the health care provider will be billed separately as well as any preventive services which Medicare provides as benefits. Also note that the "Annual Wellness Visit" is a preventative wellness visit and is not a "routine physical checkup" that some seniors may receive every year from their health care provider.

*"The Annual Wellness Visit" is provided free to Medicare Part B beneficiaries. Medicare pays for the visit and any co-pays or deductible payments of the patient are waived by Medicare. If you get additional tests or services during the same visit that aren’t covered under these preventive benefits, you may have to pay coinsurance, and the Part B deductible may apply. The "Annual Wellness Visit" is only available after the individual has been enrolled in Medicare Part B for at least 12 months, usually when they turn 65. Once 12 months have expired since the beneficiary has enrolled with Medicare Part B, the beneficiary is eligible to receive the free visit. The beneficiary is then eligible for a successive Annual Wellness Visit every 12 months for free.

***Please note that this annoucenment was originally posted with the information that we would be accepting Medicare in Dec 2011. This information is outdated. The corrected dates are present in the article above.***

Update on Monday, June 18, 2012 at 1:31PM by The Steward

For more information about Medicare, its costs, and how you can use it to pay for your health insurace, try visiting out new Medicare Information Center. This part of our webpage has been designed to provide you with answers to your Medicare questions.