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What Medicare Advantage plan members can expect at an annual wellness visit

Medicare Advantage plan members are entitled to an annual wellness visit (AWV). The Medicare annual wellness visit exists to help a patient and their primary care physician (PCP) develop and maintain a personalized prevention plan based on the patient’s current and family health history as well as other health goals.

senior patient in doctors office for wellness visit

The AWV can be well worth the time to help a patient stay on top of chronic illnesses or delay and even avoid other serious health concerns. If you haven’t had a Medicare wellness exam yet and choose to have one, here’s what to expect.

Your first wellness check

Before the visit, you’ll be asked to fill out a “Health Risk Assessment” questionnaire, which is designed to help develop your personalized prevention plan. Thorough answers to these questions can better guide the physician’s inquiries during your visit, so that he or she can quickly narrow down health issues that specifically apply to your situation. A cognitive impairment assessment will be performed to look for signs of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Your first wellness visit should also include:

  • A review of personal and family medical history
  • Creating a current health providers and prescriptions list
  • Height, weight, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and other measurements
  • Developing a risk factor list, along with treatment options
  • Depression screening, including discussion of past mental health concerns
  • A review of cognitive, functional and safety levels
  • Creating a 5 to 10-year schedule for appropriate screenings (mammograms, colonoscopies, prostate exams and others)
  • Advance care planning, if desired
  • Personalized health advice and recommendations

What to expect at other AWVs

Once a personal prevention plan is established at your first visit, subsequent follow-up preventative visits should include:

  • Weight, blood pressure and BMI checks
  • Updates to your health risk assessment
  • Updated prescription, provider list
  • Documenting changes to medical or family history
  • Cognitive issues screening
  • Updates to written screening schedule
  • Health advice and referrals for ongoing or new treatment

Documentation, costs and other need-to-knows

Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees should bring their Driver License and their MA HMO insurance card when they arrive for their AWV. The visits are offered as a part of Medicare Part B enrollment under your Advantage Plan. You can have a wellness exam every 12 months, but you cannot receive one within the same year of your Initial Preventative Physical Examination when you first sign up for Medicare or if you’ve had an AWV less than 12 months ago.

Keep in mind that during these Medicare wellness exams, a provider may need to investigate a health issue further and provide additional testing and care.

Call a MyGeneration Representative

At myGeneration Clinics your care is focused on what matters most to you! And we see better outcomes because your care team works seamlessly with your Medicare Advantage plan coverage to keep you healthy.

If you have more questions about your healthcare options and scheduling an annual wellness visit call 702-852-9000 today to talk to a myGeneration Representative who can discuss your needs and connect you to a local, licensed Medicare agent.

*This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis from a physician or qualified healthcare professional.

Part of being well is being heard.