If you’ve had Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) for more than a year, you’re eligible for a free annual Medicare Wellness Visit. This appointment is different from a physical because it focuses on preventing disability and disease. During your visit, you and your health care provider (a doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or nurse) will come up with a personalized plan for your health and wellness goals.  
Is the Medicare Wellness Visit free?  
The Medicare Wellness Visit is free each year. As long as your health care provider accepts assignment, you don’t have to pay anything for this visit.  
If they perform additional services or tests and Medicare doesn’t cover these services or tests, you may have to pay an additional fee. Ask your provider if you have questions.   
What to expect during a Wellness Visit   
During your visit, your provider will ask you to fill out a Health Risk Assessment, a questionnaire that helps them put together a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy.  
Your provider may review your personal and family medical history; go over your current prescriptions and health care providers; take measurements like your weight, height and blood pressure; offer personalized advice about your health; put together a screening schedule of preventive services you need; perform a safety assessment which includes home safety and risk for falls; and help you with advance care planning. Advance care planning involves determining what type of care you’d like to receive if you’re unable to speak or make health care decisions for yourself.  
If you take opioids for pain management, your provider will assess your risk of opioid use disorder, review your current level of pain and treatment plan, share information on non-opioid pain management options, and refer you to a specialist if needed.  
Another essential part of the wellness visit is the cognitive assessment. Your provider will check for signs of dementia or cognitive impairment. These signs can include difficulty making decisions, managing your finances, remembering things, learning new information and concentrating. If your provider thinks you have signs of cognitive impairment, they may refer you for a separate visit to check for conditions like dementia, delirium, anxiety or depression. This additional visit may also be covered by Medicare. 
Be sure to bring your medical records (including immunization records), family health history, an advanced directive or living will if you have one that is notarized and signed, and a list of all the prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, supplements and vitamins you take.  
If you’re new to Medicare 
If you’ve had Medicare Part B for less than a year, you’re eligible for a free “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit within your first 12 months. It’s similar to the annual Medicare Wellness Visit mentioned above and includes a basic vision test, depression risk assessment, safety assessment, EKG (if one has not been performed in the last 12 months), and calculation of your body mass index.  
If you’ve had Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) for 12 months or more, talk to your primary care provider about scheduling a yearly wellness visit to keep you as healthy, safe and strong as possible. To find a provider near you, visit www.pardeehospital.org.  
Susan Christos McKenney is a board-certified family nurse practitioner at Pardee Internal Medicine Associates. 

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