Annual Wellness Visit: A Beginner-Friendly Start
Annual Wellness Visit: the few things that matter most, and the mistakes that catch people out early.
A yearly Medicare prevention visit to review your health risks and plan screenings, with similar preventive checkups offered by most other health plans.
Key takeaways
- Who is eligible: people who have had Medicare Part B for more than 12 months
- Interval: once every 12 months
- Most useful single change: Book it each year; you usually have to ask for it.
- Commonest mistake: Skipping it because you feel well; that is the point of it.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Why bother
It exists specifically to find the conditions that have no symptoms yet, and many eligible people never book one.
Start here
These two first. Everything else is easier once they are habit.
- Book it each year; you usually have to ask for it
- Ask for your 10-year cardiovascular risk estimate and what it means
Then add these
Once the first two are automatic, these are worth adding.
- Bring a list of your medicines, supplements and any family history
- Leave with a written schedule of the screenings that are due
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Who is eligible | people who have had Medicare Part B for more than 12 months |
| Interval | once every 12 months |
| Covers | a health risk assessment, blood pressure, weight, a medicine review, a cognitive check and a screening schedule |
| Cost | no copay or deductible when the provider accepts assignment |
| Not on Medicare | ask your health plan about a yearly preventive checkup |
Common early mistakes
- Skipping it because you feel well; that is the point of it
- Treating it as a full physical exam; it is a prevention-planning visit
- Ignoring follow-up appointments after an abnormal result
Related topics
- Medicare Wellness Visits: What the Evidence Actually Says (Medicare and Medicaid)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Men and Health Services (Men's Health)
- No-Cost Preventive Care: What the Evidence Actually Says (Health Insurance and Costs)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Annual Reviews (Long-Term Conditions)
Where to go next
- Annual Wellness Visit: What to Do, in Order
- What People Get Wrong About Annual Wellness Visit
- Annual Wellness Visit — the reference entry
- Preventive Care: The Complete Guide
- The Evidence on Cancer Screening Recommendations, Without the Hype
- What the Guidance Really Says About Blood Pressure Checks
When to speak to a doctor
Do not wait for a wellness visit if you have symptoms. Call 911 for chest pain lasting more than a few minutes, sudden weakness on one side, or difficulty speaking. See your doctor promptly for unexplained weight loss, a persistent cough, blood in urine or stool, or a new lump.
Where this comes from
- Medicare.gov — Yearly "Wellness" visits
- CMS — Medicare Wellness Visits
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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