Annual physicals
A yearly checkup with a history review, physical exam, lab work as needed and screenings for your age.
Learn moreWhat is the Medicare yearly wellness visit?
According to Medicare.gov, Medicare Part B includes a yearly wellness visit for people who are eligible. It is a conversation-based visit with your provider to create or update a plan to help prevent disease and disability, based on your current health and risk factors.
At Beckett Ridge Family Medicine, we offer these visits to Medicare patients from West Chester Township, Liberty Township, Fairfield and the surrounding area. If you've been with us for years, your provider already knows your history and can focus on what's ahead.
It's not the same as a head-to-toe physical
Medicare.gov is clear that the yearly wellness visit isn't a routine physical exam. It's mostly a conversation and a planning session. If you also want a full physical exam, or you need to talk about a new problem or adjust treatment for an ongoing condition, those services may be handled separately. Medicare.gov notes that you may owe coinsurance, and the Part B deductible may apply, for extra services that aren't part of the wellness benefit.
If you're not sure which kind of visit you need, call us. We'll help you schedule the right one. Adults who want a full exam can learn more about our annual physicals.
What the visit includes
Based on what Medicare.gov describes, your wellness visit may include:
- A health risk assessment. You'll be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your health, habits and daily activities. Your answers help shape your prevention plan.
- A review of your medical and family history. We go over past illnesses, surgeries and conditions that run in your family.
- Your current providers and prescriptions. We update the list of specialists and other providers you see, and review the medicines you take.
- Routine measurements. We check your height, weight and blood pressure.
- A cognitive check. Your provider looks for signs of memory or thinking problems, including possible dementia.
- A screening schedule. You'll get a written plan, like a checklist, of recommended screenings, vaccines and other preventive services for the coming years.
- Personalized health advice. We talk about steps you can take for your health, and you may be offered an optional physical activity and nutrition risk assessment.
- A review of substance use risk. If you take opioid pain medicine, your provider will also review your pain treatment.
- Advance care planning, if you'd like. Your provider will offer to talk about advance directives, such as who would make health decisions for you if you couldn't. This part is your choice.
Your provider may also order other tests if needed or refer you for additional care.
When you can schedule it
Medicare.gov explains that your first yearly wellness visit can't take place within 12 months of enrolling in Part B or within 12 months of your "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit. After that, the yearly wellness visit is available once every 12 months. Call us to confirm your plan's benefits and timing before your visit. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, your benefits may work differently, so ask us to check.
If memory is a concern
The cognitive check is a short screen, not a full evaluation. If you or your family have noticed changes in memory or thinking, tell your provider. We can look into common causes. For a deeper look, our memory and cognitive health care offers a personalized plan that looks for and addresses factors that can contribute to cognitive decline.
