If you have Medicare and you haven’t scheduled your annual wellness visit yet this year, you’re leaving a free benefit on the table — and potentially letting health risks go undetected.
The Medicare annual wellness visit is covered at 100% under Medicare Part B with no copay and no deductible. Done right, it’s a comprehensive health planning session that shapes the next 12 months of your care.
Annual Wellness Visit vs. Annual Physical: What’s the Difference?
A traditional annual physical involves a head-to-toe examination. Medicare does not cover this at 100% — you may owe a copay or coinsurance.
A Medicare annual wellness visit is different. It’s not a physical exam. It’s a structured health planning appointment focused on assessing your risks, reviewing your medications, coordinating your screenings, and building a personalized prevention plan. Medicare covers this at 100%, every calendar year.
What Happens During Your Annual Wellness Visit
- Health Risk Assessment — questionnaire about your health, lifestyle, and family history.
- Medication Review — every prescription, OTC drug, and supplement checked for interactions.
- Vital Measurements — blood pressure, weight, height, BMI.
- Cognitive Function Screening — early detection of memory or cognitive decline.
- Depression Screening — standardized questions to assess mental and emotional health.
- Personalized Prevention Plan — screenings due, vaccinations needed, lifestyle recommendations.
Why This Visit Matters More After 65
After 65, your body changes in ways that often have no obvious symptoms. Blood pressure can creep up silently. Blood sugar can rise without feeling any different. Cholesterol can be elevated for years without a single warning sign.
Your Palm Primary Care doctor sees you year after year — which means they see the trends. A blood pressure reading that’s “borderline” this year is a very different concern if it was normal two years ago and has been rising steadily. Consistency is the point.
How Palm Primary Care Approaches the Annual Wellness Visit
At Palm Primary Care, the annual wellness visit is one of the most important appointments we offer. We take the time to actually talk with you: about how you’ve been feeling, what’s changed, what worries you, and what you want your health to look like in the next five to ten years.
Value-based care means we’re measured on your outcomes, not on how quickly we can move you through a room. Your wellness visit should feel like it matters — because it does.
How to Prepare for Your Visit
- Bring a complete medication list — every prescription, OTC drug, vitamin, and supplement with dosages.
- Write down your questions and concerns — don’t rely on remembering them in the moment.
- Know your family health history — particularly heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia.
- Be ready to discuss any new symptoms — changes in mood or memory, or lifestyle shifts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an annual wellness visit free with Medicare?
Yes. The Medicare annual wellness visit is covered at 100% under Medicare Part B with no copay and no deductible — as long as you haven’t had one within the past 12 months. You’re entitled to one per calendar year.
How is an annual wellness visit different from a physical exam?
The annual wellness visit is a structured health planning and preventive care assessment — not a hands-on physical examination. It focuses on risk factors, cognitive screening, depression screening, medication review, and prevention planning. Medicare covers the wellness visit at 100%; the physical may have cost-sharing.
Can I get lab work done at my annual wellness visit?
Lab work is billed separately, but your doctor can order labs during the same appointment. Depending on your plan, there may be cost-sharing for the labs. Ask your Palm Primary Care team before your visit.
How do I schedule an annual wellness visit at Palm Primary Care?
Call your closest location or book online at palmprimarycare.com. Let the scheduler know you’d like to schedule your Medicare annual wellness visit. We see patients at any of our locations across the DFW area.
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