Annual Wellness Visit

My doctor has never done the Wellness Visit, as far as I know. I keep getting emails from SSA saying I still haven't used it. :shrug:
 

My husband did it so he could get the $50 gift card. It was just another way for the insurance company to rip off Medicare in my opinion. The doctor didn't ask one question she didn't already have the answer too.

They have a new thing now, called Chronic something or another, I forget. Anyway, its a new deal where they can charge Medicare to do nothing that your primary care doctor should already have done. My husband is saying no and refusing to sign their paper. He said they plan to give me one to sign the next time I go in. I have high blood pressure that I manage so well, the medical assistant told me she wished her blood pressure was as good as mine. She said the same thing when I took the bone density test.

I say no to anything they offer me. My husband and I are both getting pretty tired of going to the doctor and seeing nothing but her butt on a stool in front of her computer as she fires off comments and questions she already knows the answer to.

But if any of this makes you feel more comfortable you should do it. We especially dislike the part of the program where they want to call you regularly and remind you to take your pills and ask if you've gotten any exercise or eating properly. I told one lady on the phone when she called to try and get me to sign up that we have children and adult grandchildren breathing down our necks and we don't need anyone else keeping an eye on us. BUT if you are alone in the world and feel you need that contact, I'd say go for it.
 
The gift card, yup. Don't know how many healthy already seeing doctors fall for that. But home health care or more 'casual' visits are the future. PAs and nurses are the future with many plans and/or in many areas.
 

I see my GP every 8 weeks as I am diabetic. Once a year I get a complete physical, this might be the "Wellness visit" you guys are referring to. A much more thorough going over and in depth interview.
I have had the same doctor for 35 years. I met him while he was still interning and went with him when he opened his practice. He is Chinese and in all these years his English hasn't really improved.
Any way.....
There we were, he on his stool, me on the bench. He is looking through my chart, "Ooh, You no have digital long time, turn aroun", my day went to hell in a single thrust!
 
The gift card, yup. Don't know how many healthy already seeing doctors fall for that. But home health care or more 'casual' visits are the future. PAs and nurses are the future with many plans and/or in many areas.

I see a PA rather than an MD at my health practice. She actually listens better and seems to care more than any MD I've seen in a long time (except for my orthopedic surgeon, who is, surprisingly enough, quite empathetic and has a wonderful bedside manner). I don't have any problem seeing a PA for routine stuff -- you don't really need an MD to check your blood pressure, listen to heart and lungs, review routine tests, etc., and treat minor stuff.

HOWEVER, having said all that, I DO have a major problem with the insurance company trying to take over patient management -- that's a whole different colored horse, as insurance company representatives have the interests of the insurance company at heart, NOT the patient's.
 
I see my GP every 8 weeks as I am diabetic. Once a year I get a complete physical, this might be the "Wellness visit" you guys are referring to. A much more thorough going over and in depth interview.
I have had the same doctor for 35 years. I met him while he was still interning and went with him when he opened his practice. He is Chinese and in all these years his English hasn't really improved.
Any way.....
There we were, he on his stool, me on the bench. He is looking through my chart, "Ooh, You no have digital long time, turn aroun", my day went to hell in a single thrust!

If you are getting this annual physical from your doctor, it is not the "wellness visit."
 
I have a family doc that I see once a year or every couple of years for routine stuff. She is so busy it takes a month to get an appointment. Besides that I have ongoing yearly cancer follow ups with two separate specialists and if there was anything "urgent"I would end up at an Urgent Care Office or Emerg. My family doc is pretty much out of the loop as I trust myself more than her to manage my healthcare.

Our Village only has three doctors so you're pretty limited when it comes to choices.
 
Contrary to most of you, my husband and I appreciate the Medicare annual wellness visits. We see an FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) at a local Community Health Clinic. Before we were eligible for Medicare, we had an employer plan with Blue Cross at this clinic. The Clinic has been our "regular doctor" for years. The only change with Medicare is that our annual physical, screening, etc. is all part of the annual wellness visit.

I've been told the Annual Wellness Visit is intended for seniors who don't see a doctor until it's an emergency. With a physical, screening and tests, the doctor has a baseline to look back at each year. Having a comparison year to year is helpful.

Funny side note on the memory screening at my first wellness visit. The very next day after I'd seen the doctor, we watched a movie where the woman was administered the screening test--exactly the one I was given. It would have been even funnier if I had seen the movie first so I would have known the answers before she could ask them.
 
I have had the annual wellness exam. I asked my doctor during a normal visit what exactly that meant or was. His response, its basically a conversation, not an exam. Medicare pays for it. (nothings free) I agreed to do it, as it turned out he asked about your parent's health history, alive or deceased, brothers /sisters and your kids. Looks at height and weight, wants you to draw the time he gives you on a piece of paper. that's it. Since I have no copay I did it. probably wont do it again, never would if I had a copay.
 
I refused mine after I saw the questions they asked last year. I felt the primary care doctor should have been on top of all that anyway. So in yesterdays mail I got it only on a couple sheets of paper. I decided to be a sweet heart and go ahead and fill it out and mail it to them. But I'm not going to do it in the doctor's office again.
 
I agree Linda. I know that my family doctor and I have discussed all that many times. It's been said before, but "It's just a paycheck for the Doctor!"
 
I have had the annual wellness exam. I asked my doctor during a normal visit what exactly that meant or was. His response, its basically a conversation, not an exam. Medicare pays for it. (nothings free) I agreed to do it, as it turned out he asked about your parent's health history, alive or deceased, brothers /sisters and your kids. Looks at height and weight, wants you to draw the time he gives you on a piece of paper. that's it. Since I have no copay I did it. probably wont do it again, never would if I had a copay.

To me, it's a waste of everybody's time. My parents' (deceased) health history is part of my record there, if they'd bother to look it up, and any concerns I have are addressed at my annual checkup or if something comes up in the interim. And I certainly have no intention of hashing all this stuff over with someone who is not my PCP.
 
To me, it's a waste of everybody's time. My parents' (deceased) health history is part of my record there, if they'd bother to look it up, and any concerns I have are addressed at my annual checkup or if something comes up in the interim. And I certainly have no intention of hashing all this stuff over with someone who is not my PCP.

That's my take on it too. My parents' health history (along with my siblings) has nothing to do with my health. There's no helpful genetic information to be culled, so why waste my time?
 
That's my take on it too. My parents' health history (along with my siblings) has nothing to do with my health. There's no helpful genetic information to be culled, so why waste my time?

The health history of first, second and depending on the types of diseases, third degree relatives plays a big part in your overall healthcare. It gives physicians an idea of what diseases you may be prone to and what they should watch as part of a surveillance plan.

For example my brother, first degree relative, was diagnosed at age 40 with bowel cancer. I was immediately checked and had it as well although it was stage 2 and not 4.

My mother had uterine and kidney cancer in her 70's so my brother and I got checked for Kidney and Bladder Cancer. My brother was good, me not so lucky {or I guess I could rephrase that as lucky it was found early}

So yes, family history is extremely important in your healthcare plan. It saved me from an early grave.
 
environment and circumstance

One of the things with family history is that is it genes or a common environment and/or tradition like cooking recipes, diet, smoking, smoke etc. I know people who painted their house/living areas every year right before xmas leaving people open to fumes, toxins etc. Some neighborhoods had issues with radon in basements & concrete. They used to treat wood with arsenic so if a family is in the same age neighborhood/house for any length of time that could be a factor. Pollution controls really didn't come into play until the mid to late 60s meaning if a child was exposed to many of the toxins no longer around or in large quantities that could be a factor as well.

I will say I've seen moms and grand moms pass at similar ages but yet sisters in the same family pass at completely different ages. I think environment could trigger a predisposition to a disease. It could be why it seems to skip many in the family because the right combination of environment, genes and experiences is not the same for everyone.
 
The health history of first, second and depending on the types of diseases, third degree relatives plays a big part in your overall healthcare. It gives physicians an idea of what diseases you may be prone to and what they should watch as part of a surveillance plan.

For example my brother, first degree relative, was diagnosed at age 40 with bowel cancer. I was immediately checked and had it as well although it was stage 2 and not 4.

My mother had uterine and kidney cancer in her 70's so my brother and I got checked for Kidney and Bladder Cancer. My brother was good, me not so lucky {or I guess I could rephrase that as lucky it was found early}

So yes, family history is extremely important in your healthcare plan. It saved me from an early grave.

I never meant to say it was not important. My point is, it is already in my records at my doctor's office. So why do I need to go through all that again? My parents and grandparents are still dead, and their causes of death and other history have not changed. My sister is still alive and goes to the same practice I do, and everybody knows we are sisters. So, what's the point in spending time writing down all that when they already have it? Big boondoggle, IMHO.
 
Yep. Understood, just replying to Smiling Jane's post. Some information no matter how inconsequential one might think it is just might wave some red flags
 
I never meant to say it was not important. My point is, it is already in my records at my doctor's office. So why do I need to go through all that again? My parents and grandparents are still dead, and their causes of death and other history have not changed. My sister is still alive and goes to the same practice I do, and everybody knows we are sisters. So, what's the point in spending time writing down all that when they already have it? Big boondoggle, IMHO.
Not only that but the last one I supposedly had, it was an intern asking and then entering "their" interpretation of my answers, followed by similar questions from a nurse, and then a follow up from the doctor where he discussed with me what he chose to from what they had entered into the computer. I was wore out, frustrated, and did not feel like I got what I had hoped to from the visit, and I didn't get to discuss all the things I wanted to with the doctor that I wanted to after being grilled a couple of times by others... geesh that ain't the way to do things.
 
Not only that but the last one I supposedly had, it was an intern asking and then entering "their" interpretation of my answers, followed by similar questions from a nurse, and then a follow up from the doctor where he discussed with me what he chose to from what they had entered into the computer. I was wore out, frustrated, and did not feel like I got what I had hoped to from the visit, and I didn't get to discuss all the things I wanted to with the doctor that I wanted to after being grilled a couple of times by others... geesh that ain't the way to do things.

My friend went to one of those and she said she found the whole thing intrusive, offensive and insulting and felt like they were trying to catch her at something or decide she wasn't bright enough or together enough to take care of herself. She came back close to tears.

I had a similar experience right after I had my hips replaced, when a bright young thing physical therapist insisted on talking over my head to my daughter-in-law (who had dropped by to visit me) about whether I knew how to take my medications correctly and whether I was having any problems, etc. I assured that PT that I was right there in the room, and was quite competent to take care of myself and to address her questions to me and not to a visitor in my home. I also told her not to come back. I am simply not going to tolerate that kind of treatment from medical professionals -- I may be older, but I will not be treated like a child just because I have grey hair.
 
My friend went to one of those and she said she found the whole thing intrusive, offensive and insulting and felt like they were trying to catch her at something or decide she wasn't bright enough or together enough to take care of herself. She came back close to tears.

I had a similar experience right after I had my hips replaced, when a bright young thing physical therapist insisted on talking over my head to my daughter-in-law (who had dropped by to visit me) about whether I knew how to take my medications correctly and whether I was having any problems, etc. I assured that PT that I was right there in the room, and was quite competent to take care of myself and to address her questions to me and not to a visitor in my home. I also told her not to come back. I am simply not going to tolerate that kind of treatment from medical professionals -- I may be older, but I will not be treated like a child just because I have grey hair.

I've seen that. Some patients need a second person others don't but it should be obvious if a patient is doing their part of not. It's another example of cya medicine except it's in the patient's home. Also it shows how many robots are in the health care industry.

Also in the office or home many of those questions are part of another test, it's not just about the answer but how you answered, we're you cooperative or combative. Also if a patient is considered non compliant insurance companies can stop or limit treatment. And in the home I guarantee you most visiting workers are told to look at conditions which is good and bad.

From what I've seen only a handful are conscientious. Around here hospitals of reduced or eliminated alot of nursing services so there are alot of clock punchers just looking for a paycheck-some I hate to say are in no shape to be driving around, getting in and out of vehicles or deal with various road & physical conditions in home including heavier patients let alone 'nurse' a patient.
 
i have the same problem as butterfly--i take my daughter with me to the ent dr and the vascular dr--they talk to my daughter(who is sitting across the room) i am hard of hearing but they could stand aside of me-i am paying for this and i have to get all my information from my daughter.
 
i have the same problem as butterfly--i take my daughter with me to the ent dr and the vascular dr--they talk to my daughter(who is sitting across the room) i am hard of hearing but they could stand aside of me-i am paying for this and i have to get all my information from my daughter.


Can I be the devil's advocate ?

Problem?..at least you have a daughter that goes with you. There are those that will not be bothered. There is a whole thread on that.

And perhaps the doc , is trying to explain it to the person, younger person, with the better hearing & comprehension . And that knows best how to explain it to you? Perhaps later at home, in the less stress environment, over a nice cup'o tea/coffee.
 
Can I be the devil's advocate ?

Problem?..at least you have a daughter that goes with you. There are those that will not be bothered. There is a whole thread on that.

And perhaps the doc , is trying to explain it to the person, younger person, with the better hearing & comprehension . And that knows best how to explain it to you? Perhaps later at home, in the less stress environment, over a nice cup'o tea/coffee.

Perhaps so, but I seriously resent the assumption that the younger person has "better hearing and comprehension" than the older person, and that the older person needs someone to interpret the doctor's instructions. Just because a person has grey hair does not mean they do not have all their marbles and/or needs to be talked down to.
 
Perhaps so, but I seriously resent the assumption that the younger person has "better hearing and comprehension" than the older person, and that the older person needs someone to interpret the doctor's instructions. Just because a person has grey hair does not mean they do not have all their marbles and/or needs to be talked down to.


Not my implication at all, My apologies if I have offended.

But let's be honest...quite often it is the case, and many of us live in denial of it. The doc is a professional , looking at it from the outside . And very possible he sees something you have not yet come to terms with.

If I may suggest?...explain your view to both of them, perhaps they didn't realize, and in the meantime be thankful you have a caring daughter.

Again, my apologies if I'm out of line.
 


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