Annual physical or Medicare wellness visit? Ask before you schedule.

The name can be confusing

Under Original Medicare, the yearly wellness benefit generally becomes available after the first 12 months of Part B and can be used once every 12 months. It focuses on a personalized prevention plan. A routine physical is a different service and is not covered by Original Medicare.

If the clinician accepts assignment, the covered wellness visit has no patient cost. Additional services, tests or treatment can carry costs. Your own coverage and timing should be confirmed before scheduling.

Use a precise scheduling question

Instead of asking only for “my annual,” try: “I would like to discuss a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. Can you help confirm when I am eligible and whether my other concerns need a separate appointment?”

Tell the office if you also want to discuss a new symptom, an ongoing condition or a medication problem. Staff can help identify the appropriate visit arrangement. Do not assume that mentioning an issue makes it part of the wellness benefit.

Bring the pieces of your prevention history

You do not need to remember everything. Write “not sure” when you do not know a date, and identify the office that may have the record.

• Dates and locations of previous screenings or vaccinations, if available.
• A current medication record and the names of other clinicians you see.
• Questions about what is due next and what may no longer apply to your situation.
• Any concern about daily activities, mobility or support at home that you want to discuss.

Leave with a plan you can use

Ask for the next steps in plain language: what is recommended, where to arrange it and who will share the results. Mark tasks that need insurance confirmation before you schedule them.

If you have Medicare Advantage, verify benefits, network and visit arrangements with your plan and the office. A carrier name alone does not establish coverage for every product. New patients call Dr. Elsaadi’s office for their first appointment.