ElderCare Q&A

Medicare's "Wellness" Benefits

A recent federal report says that over 5.5 million people on Medicare used one or more of the new preventive benefits now available at no cost, including mammograms, bone density screenings, and screenings for prostate cancer. Starting in 2011, Medicare now fully pays for an Annual Wellness Visit at no cost to people on Medicare.

You can now have a "Welcome to Medicare" visit which covers a review of your health, education and counseling about preventive services, including certain screenings and shots. This visit must be taken within the first 12 months after you go on Medicare Part B doctor's benefits.

If you have been on Part B for more than one year, you're eligible for a yearly "Wellness" visit to develop or update a "personal prevent plan" just for you, based on your health and risk factors. Medicare will pay for this wellness visit to your doctor every year - at no cost to you.

At your first "wellness" visit, your doctor will create a plan and schedule to help you stay well, including certain screenings and shots you should get over the next 5 or 10 years. The plan will include making a list of your current doctors and medications. Your doctor will record your medical history and check your blood pressure, weight, height and body-mass index. Your doctor will screen you for dementia, or memory loss, as well as depression and other mental health conditions.

Your doctor may refer you to other professionals for other health care. Your doctor may give you a vision test and an Electrocardiogram (EKG), plus any other tests that may help you stay well. Later exams will build upon the prevention plan created in the first visit. Your doctor will take routine measurements, including weight, height, and blood pressure. Your doctor may order further tests or make new referrals if you need them. Your doctor will update your screening schedule and again review your health and mental status based on your current health needs.

This new "wellness" exam is a great way to stay ahead of your health. You can meet with your doctor every 12 months and get the important screenings, shots, and referrals you need to help you stay healthy.

You do not need to get the "Welcome to Medicare" physical exam before you get the annual wellness exam. But if you do get the "Welcome to Medicare" physical when you enroll in Medicare Part B, you will have to wait 12 months to get your first wellness exam. In other words, you cannot get the "Welcome to Medicare" physical exam and your first wellness exam during the same 12 month period. You pay nothing for the cost of this service.

Medicare now covers a long list of preventive exams. These exams range from an abdominal aortic aneurysm to diabetes screening and colorectal cancer screenings. You can get a checklist of these exams to take to discuss with your doctor, or call 1-800-Medicare and ask about preventive services and the checklist.