What Is the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit

The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a preventive appointment covered 100% by Medicare -- no deductible, no coinsurance -- designed to help you and your doctor stay ahead of health issues rather than just treat them after they develop. Despite being free and available to every Medicare beneficiary, it is one of the most underused benefits in the entire program.

What the Annual Wellness Visit Is

The Annual Wellness Visit is not a physical exam. That distinction matters because many people confuse it with a traditional head-to-toe exam, which Medicare covers differently.

The AWV is a focused preventive visit designed to review your overall health status, update your medical history, and develop a personalized prevention plan. It typically takes 30 to 45 minutes and focuses on the big picture rather than diagnosing or treating specific conditions.

During the visit, your doctor will review your medical and family history, update your list of current prescriptions and supplements, assess risk factors for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and depression, check your blood pressure and weight, and review what preventive screenings are recommended for someone your age and health profile. You may also complete a brief cognitive assessment.

The Welcome to Medicare Visit vs the Annual Wellness Visit

In your first year of Medicare Part B, you are eligible for a one-time "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit. This is a separate benefit from the Annual Wellness Visit. After that first year, you can have an Annual Wellness Visit once every 12 months.

Both are covered at no cost when you see a Medicare-accepting provider. You cannot have both in the same year once you have had the Welcome to Medicare visit.

What It Does Not Include

Because this is a preventive visit, not a sick visit, there are important limitations. The Annual Wellness Visit does not include a full physical examination. If your doctor does a complete physical with hands-on assessment during the same appointment, that portion may be billed separately and subject to your Part B deductible and 20% coinsurance.

If you raise a new medical concern or complaint during the AWV, that issue will likely be billed as a separate office visit. This is a common source of unexpected bills. To avoid it, save new symptoms or specific medical concerns for a follow-up appointment, and let the Annual Wellness Visit focus on prevention planning.

How to Get the Most Out of It

Come prepared. Bring a complete list of all medications including supplements and over-the-counter drugs. Bring records from other providers if your primary doctor does not have complete records. Think ahead about any concerns you have about cognitive changes, balance, mood, or chronic condition management and be ready to discuss them.

Ask your doctor which preventive screenings are due for you. Medicare covers a significant list of screenings at no cost -- colonoscopy, mammogram, bone density scan, diabetes screening, cardiovascular screening, and more -- but they need to be ordered. The AWV is the perfect time to review what is overdue and get it scheduled.

Also ask about advance care planning. Medicare covers advance care planning discussions (about living wills, healthcare proxies, and end-of-life wishes) as part of the Annual Wellness Visit or as a separate service. These are important conversations to have while you are healthy.