The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a yearly appointment with your primary care provider (PCP) to create or update a personalized prevention plan. This plan may help prevent illness based on your current health and risk factors. Keep in mind that the AWV is not a head-to-toe physical.
What is the cost of the visit?
Medicare will pay for an Annual Well Visit once every 12 months. Depending on your visit, we may recommend other services that do have co-pays or other out-of-pocket expenses. These services are considered separate from your wellness visit, and you will be able to ask questions about their cost to you prior to them being conducted.
What to expect at your Annual Wellness Visit
- During your Annual Wellness Visit, we will gather information about your unique health situation. We will discuss what medical problems you have, which you may need to watch for, and how we can prevent them together.
- You may be given some preventive care, such as a review of your medical history and counseling, but you will not be given a physical exam unless we have informed you otherwise.
- When we are finished with your visit, you will be given an individualized plan to take home that outlines recommendations for further preventive services and lifestyle changes that may be beneficial for you.
What to bring
It is important that you bring enough information to your visit so that we can best understand your unique health situation. This includes:
- Any medical records or immunization records you have.
- Any family health history you may have, especially including family within two generations of you.
- A complete list of medications you take, including supplements.
- A list of other healthcare providers that are currently involved in your care.
Can my Annual Wellness Visit be done via Telemedicine?
In certain cases, you may be eligible to receive your Annual Wellness Visit via a telemedicine appointment. Your provider’s office can help determine if you are eligible. We do, however, encourage patients to come into the office for an annual wellness visit. To ensure our practices are safe, we have instituted the following measures:
- Limited patient companions, which limits the overall traffic in our office
- Expanded cleaning of patient areas (and removed shared items like magazines)
- Mandatory temperature screenings for patients, visitors and staff upon entrance.
- Requiring masks be worn by patients, staff and visitors.
- Spacing appointments out and practicing social distancing to ensure that we do not have large populations of patients in the office at any one time. Constantly evaluating procedures (ensuring that they are aligned with CDC guidelines)
Don’t delay – if you haven’t had your Annual Wellness Visit, now’s the time to schedule it!