Medicare Yearly Wellness visits

Yearly wellness visits

If you’ve had Medicare Part B medical insurance for at least 12 months, you can get a free wellness visit every year. At this visit, your provider will work with you to develop a custom plan to help prevent disease or disability. This visit is personalized for you based on your current health and risk factors. The annual wellness visit does not involve a physical exam.

What it is

At your yearly wellness visit, your provider will ask you to fill out a “Health Risk Assessment.” Answering these questions can help you and your provider develop a personalized plan to keep you healthy! Your visit may include:

• A review of your medical and family history
• A review of your current providers and prescriptions
• Height, weight, blood pressure, and other routine measurements
• Personalized health advice
• A list of risk factors and treatment options for you
• A screening schedule (like a checklist) for appropriate preventive services
• Advance care planning 

Your provider will also perform a cognitive assessment to look for signs of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. If your provider thinks you may have cognitive impairment, Medicare covers a separate visit to do a more thorough review of your cognitive function and check for conditions like dementia, depression, anxiety, or delirium and design a care plan.

A preventive benefit of Medicare

If you qualify for a yearly wellness visit, you pay nothing! 

Note – if your provider performs additional tests or services in the same visit, you may have to pay your coinsurance and/or the Part B deductible.