What can I expect during a wellness visit?
During your annual wellness visit, you and your provider will create a health plan to help you better manage or prevent chronic diseases, manage your risk factors for different health conditions and answer any general questions you may have. Visits typically include:
- Reviewing your personal and family health history
- Creating/updating a list of your prescription medications
- Discussing ideal height, weight and blood pressure
- Noting any signs of cognitive impairment
- Identifying and addressing risk factors and related treatments
- Outlining an individualized screening schedule for preventive services, including vaccinations
- Discussing advance care planning, also known as advance directives
Dr. Sieckmann says he makes sure he reviews issues important to seniors during their Medicare-covered annual wellness visits. He addresses issues such as balance and preventing falls, diet and nutrition, memory, vaccinations and end-of-life planning, among other topics.
Are wellness visits covered by insurance?
Many commercial insurance plans allow one free wellness visit per year in addition to routine annual physicals that generally require a copay. However, because benefits vary by health insurance company and specific plan, it's up to you to confirm exactly which visits are included in your plan. An important factor to consider is that only certain things are covered during the annual wellness visit. If you ask your provider to treat another issue on this visit, you may receive a bill for a copay.
Before scheduling your annual wellness visit and creating a workable plan for improving and/or maintaining your health for the coming year, confirm coverage benefits with your insurance provider.