Your Annual Wellness Visit: A Personalized Roadmap for Healthy Aging
Staying healthy after 65 isn’t just about treating illness—it’s about preventing problems before they start.
The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a specialized, once-a-year planning session designed to keep you independent, healthy, and thriving.
How is an Annual Wellness Visit Different from a Physical?
Many patients expect a traditional “annual physical” with bloodwork and a hands-on exam. It helps to think of these two visits differently:
- Traditional Physical / Sick Visit: Focuses on treating current symptoms, conducting physical exams, and ordering routine lab work.
- Annual Wellness Visit: A preventive planning session. We review your health history, assess memory and mobility changes year-over-year, and create a custom wellness plan for the upcoming year.
100% Covered by Medicare: Your Annual Wellness Visit is covered 100% by Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage with $0 copay, $0 deductible, and no coinsurance.
What to Expect During Your Visit
To give you a clear picture of your overall health, we will:
- Review Your Health Risk Assessment: A simple questionnaire covering your medical history, daily habits, and lifestyle.
- Check Key Vitals: Record your height, weight, blood pressure, and BMI to track year-over-year trends.
- Assess Cognitive & Physical Function: Evaluate memory, balance, and mobility to catch subtle changes early.
- Update Your Care Plan: Review your current medications, list of specialists, and recommended preventive screenings (like mammograms, colonoscopies, or bone density tests).