800-398-8714
Back to all

Make the Most of Your Medicare Preventive Care and Screenings

Preventive Care visit
Picture of Sedric
Sedric

Share this article

Facebook
Email
Print

Medicare offers essential preventive services at no cost to help keep you healthy, detect conditions early, and prevent severe illnesses. As a Medicare insurance agency, we encourage clients to use these valuable free preventive benefits available through Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.

Annual Wellness Visit: A Comprehensive Health Risk Assessment

All Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for an Annual Wellness Visit once every 12 months. This visit goes beyond a routine checkup, focusing on a comprehensive health risk assessment with your primary care physician. Your doctor will create or update your personalized “prevention plan” based on your health and risk factors. The Annual Wellness Visit requires no copays or deductibles and covers several essential aspects:

  • Review of your medical and family history

  • Evaluation of your current medications

  • Assessment of your functional ability and safety

  • Detection of cognitive impairment

  • Personalized health advice

By participating in the Annual Wellness Visit, you can establish a baseline for your health, which can help your doctor determine suitable preventive services and screenings.

Annual Physical Exam vs. Annual Wellness Visit: Understanding the Differences

Some Medicare Advantage plans provide an annual physical exam in addition to the Annual Wellness Visit covered by Medicare. It’s essential to understand the difference between these two types of visits to make the most of your preventive care benefits.

An annual physical exam is a comprehensive, head-to-toe examination conducted by your doctor. This exam typically includes a review of your personal and family medical history, vital signs check, physical examination, and potentially some laboratory tests. The focus of an annual physical exam is on preventive care and identifying potential health issues that may need further attention.

On the other hand, an Annual Wellness Visit is designed to create or update your personalized “prevention plan” based on your current health and risk factors. This visit focuses on a comprehensive health risk assessment performed by your primary care physician and is more of a conversation about your health rather than a full physical examination. It aims to ensure that you’re up to date on all recommended preventive services, screenings, and immunizations.

Both the annual physical exam and Annual Wellness Visit are valuable tools for maintaining your health, but they serve different purposes. It’s important to check your specific Medicare Advantage plan to see if it includes coverage for an annual physical exam in addition to the Annual Wellness Visit. Our licensed insurance agents at Vista Mutual can help you understand your preventive care benefits and maximize your coverage.

Comprehensive Preventive Screenings: Detecting Conditions Early

Medicare covers many preventive cancer and health screenings at 100% if you meet specific criteria like age or risk factors. Covered screenings include:

  • Mammograms – once every 12 months for women over age 40

  • Pap smears and pelvic exams – based on your doctor’s recommendation

  • Prostate cancer screening – every 12 months for men over 50

  • Colorectal cancer screening – flexible sigmoidoscopy every 48 months or colonoscopy every 120 months

  • Bone mass measurement – once every 24 months if you meet certain conditions

  • Diabetes screening – if you have risk factors for diabetes

  • Vaccines – flu, pneumonia, Hepatitis B shots

Early detection through these screenings can make a significant difference in your health! By completing the necessary screenings, you can catch potential issues in their early stages, increasing the likelihood of successful treatment and management.

Immunizations: Protecting Yourself from Illnesses

Medicare Part B covers the full cost of many recommended vaccines to prevent illness, including annual flu shots, pneumonia vaccines, and Hepatitis B shots for people at high risk. Inform your doctor that you have Medicare, so they bill Medicare, and you pay nothing out of pocket. Staying up-to-date on vaccinations is crucial to maintaining your health and avoiding preventable diseases.

Check Your Coverage: Ensuring You Receive the Right Care

Preventive benefits vary between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, so check your specific coverage. Also, confirm that your doctors accept your plan to avoid any surprising bills. At Vista Mutual, our licensed insurance agents can help you understand your preventive care benefits and maximize your coverage.

The Importance of Staying Engaged in Your Health

Staying engaged with your health means regularly participating in preventive services, screenings, and immunizations. By doing so, you’re proactively taking care of yourself and reducing the risk of severe illnesses. Additionally, building a strong relationship with your primary care physician can help you receive personalized care tailored to your needs.

Staying current on recommended preventive services, annual physical exams and Annual Wellness Visits through Medicare is one of the best things you can do for your health.

We’re here to help! Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us with any questions.

You might also enjoy

Woman looking at laptop
Unraveling the Changes to Medicare Part D in 2024 and 2025

With the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the Medicare landscape is poised for several significant changes that will directly impact enrollees. This article aims to demystify these upcoming changes to Medicare Part D in 2024 and 2025, with a focus on how enrollees stand to benefit from these modifications.

We are not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.