With the recent changes in the healthcare laws, we wanted to make you aware of what an Annual Wellness Visit consists of as defined by the Health Plans.

For our Medicare-insured patients you now can receive an Annual Wellness Visit with your doctor. This visit is not a complete physical. The items that will be addressed at these visits are:

• Medical/Family History
• Measurement of height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure and other measurements as
• deemed appropriate by the medical/family history.
• Establishment of a list of current providers who are involved in the patient’s medical care
• Detection of any cognitive impairment
• Review of potential risk factors for depression
• Review of functional ability and level of safety based on direct observation or the use of appropriate screening questions/questionnaire
• Establishment of a written screening schedule, such as a checklist for the next five to 10 years as
• appropriate.
• When appropriate, the provision of personalized health advice and referral to health education
• or preventive counseling services or programs.
• Voluntary advance care planning up agreement by the patient.

Medicare patients who are new to the insurance (6 months or less) are allowed a one-time IPPE exam. This is more comprehensive and includes several types of tests.

For all of our non-Medicare insured patients, the Annual Wellness Visit focuses on what procedures, immunizations, health screenings that you need. We want to ensure your continued health as it relates to your age, gender, etc. At these visits no other chronic conditions, illnesses, prescription refills, etc. will be discussed due to government regulations. These types of issues require a separate appointment with your primary care doctor.

When you call to schedule your Annual Wellness Visit, our front office staff will ask about medication
refills or other issues that you want to address with the doctor. If you require medication refills, have
other health issues that need to be addressed, we will suggest that you make an appointment for these
conditions and schedule your Annual Wellness Visit at another time.

Well Child Checks are treated in the same manner. We review the needed immunizations, height, weight, growth patterns, vision and hearing if applicable, and safety. If your child is ill, it is considered a regular office visit. The well child check is provided at another appointment.

We hope this clarifies some of the new healthcare changes and how these various types of visits are scheduled and performed.