An Annual Wellness Visit is a yearly Medicare-covered appointment focused on prevention, not treatment. It is built around a Health Risk Assessment and a Personalized Prevention Plan, and it is not the same as a physical exam.
Preventive
Personalized
BetterNo. This is the single most common point of confusion, so it is worth stating clearly. An Annual Wellness Visit and a physical exam are two different appointments with two different purposes. A physical exam is a hands-on, head-to-toe examination that can also address symptoms you’re currently having. An Annual Wellness Visit is a conversation and planning appointment focused on prevention, and it does not include the same hands-on exam.
| Annual Wellness Visit | Physical Exam |
|---|---|
| Focused on prevention and planning for the year ahead | Focused on evaluating your current physical health |
| Reviews your health history, risks, and medications | Includes a hands-on exam (heart, lungs, abdomen, reflexes) |
| Builds or updates your Personalized Prevention Plan | Can address a specific symptom or complaint |
| Covered at $0 for eligible Medicare Part B patients | Not covered by Original Medicare; cost depends on your plan |
You’re eligible for an Annual Wellness Visit once every 12 months, starting after you have Medicare Part B for at least 12 months. If you’re newer to Medicare, there’s a separate, one-time visit designed for your first year.
The Welcome to Medicare Visit is a one-time preventive exam available during your first 12 months of Medicare Part B coverage. It establishes your health baseline. Once you’ve had this visit, you can have your Annual Wellness Visit every 12 months.
Available every 12 months after the first year of Medicare Part B coverage. This is the recurring visit most Medicare patients will have year after year to keep their prevention plan current.
Your Annual Wellness Visit is built around two required components:
A structured review of your health, including your medical and family history, current medications, diet, activity level, and any safety or fall-risk factors. Depending on your age and history, this may also include a cognitive check and a depression screening.
Using what’s learned in the Health Risk Assessment, your provider builds or updates a written schedule of screenings, vaccinations, and preventive services recommended for you over the next several years, along with a list of your current risk factors.
If you bring up a new or worsening symptom during your Annual Wellness Visit and your provider evaluates or treats it, that portion is billed separately from the wellness visit itself. The same may be billed separately from a preventive visit.
As a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit, this appointment is covered by Medicare Part B at no cost for eligible patients, once every 12 months, when your provider accepts assignment. Some additional services or a separate problem-focused visit may be billed depending on your specific situation. Coverage details vary by plan, so it’s best to confirm your benefits.
A little preparation helps your provider build a more useful prevention plan. Bring:
Your Annual Wellness Visit is performed by our broader primary care team, board-certified and trained in evidence-based, preventive-focused medicine across all of our Texas locations.
Every Hillside Primary Care location offers Annual Wellness Visits. Find the clinic nearest you and book directly from its location page.
Not automatically. Blood work isn’t a required part of the Annual Wellness Visit itself, but your provider may order labs based on your Health Risk Assessment and Personalized Prevention Plan.
The length depends on your health history and what your provider needs to review with you. Call your Hillside location when you book and the team can tell you what to expect.
You can bring up a new or worsening symptom during your visit. If your provider evaluates or treats it, that portion is billed separately from the wellness visit itself.
Yes. The visit is built around prevention, so it is most useful before problems appear. It is covered at no cost for eligible Medicare Part B patients once every 12 months.
Your Annual Wellness Visit is performed by our broader primary care team, board-certified and trained in evidence-based, preventive-focused medicine.
Find the Hillside Primary Care location nearest you and get on the calendar with our caring medical team.
