Has Anyone Done An Annual "Wellness " Visit

I had my first official Medicare Wellness visit this year.

No cost/copay and no paperwork for me.

It was just a routine exam with routine observations and questions that the PCP used to update his records and a discussion about my health issues, treatment plan, etc...

It took about twenty minutes and I was out the door.
 

I get a snail mail every two weeks urging me to have my free wellness check. It is represented as being a way to screen folks who may need to actually see my pcp. In this checkup, one doesn't even see the pcp. Screw that! If I'm not feeling well, and I have no idea why, I'll make an appointment with that pcp, not one of his side-kicks!
 
treeguy64 said:
I get a snail mail every two weeks urging me to have my free wellness check. It is represented as being a way to screen folks who may need to actually see my pcp. In this checkup, one doesn't even see the pcp. Screw that! If I'm not feeling well, and I have no idea why, I'll make an appointment with that pcp, not one of his side-kicks!
Click to expand...
Ditto....I go every 6 Months for blood work and a check up..Only because I need a refill for my BP Meds.
 
I go in every Spring for the wellness visit, and a low dose MRI (lung screening). It's all covered by the Medicare Supplement Insurance, so I figure I might as well get some use of all this insurance money...plus, IF there is any problem, its best to find it in its early stages.
 
Bonnie said:
My PCP told me the same thing. .. It doesn't cost me anything, but Insurance company cashes in big on this service.
Click to expand...

No...just the opposite...actually these exams are a "cash cow" for the doctors and hospitals. They make ton's of money from these exams, AND the government/insurance company pays for it. If you are on Medicare/Medicare Advantage, you are already paying for these exams....whether or not you chose to take them. Why would you pay for something, then chose not to use it????

I've seen far too many older folks who fail to visit the doctor until they develop serious issues....which may have been diagnosed and treated before they became a major issue.
 
Last edited:
Don M. said:
No...just the opposite...actually these exams are a "cash cow" for the doctors and hospitals. They make ton's of money from these exams, AND the government/insurance company pays for it. If you are on Medicare/Medicare Advantage, you are already paying for these exams....whether or not you chose to take them. Why would you pay for something, then chose not to use it????
Click to expand...

My doctor said he prefers the results of my exams in his office, when I get my yearly physical. ... I will go along with that.

And yes, like you said insurance companies pay for it ... they must, because I get bribed with gift cards up to $100 to have these wellness visits.
 
fmdog44 said:
I am told by my doctor there is a lot of paperwork. It is not a physical exam. I don't think I want to answer a bunch of questions to be viewed by the govt.
Click to expand...

I strongly agree. The so-called "annual wellness visit" is NOT an annual checkup. I get an annual checkup every year, but I will not do the "annual wellness" thing. My doc says they are a meaningless paper shuffle and I see them as an invasion of my privacy.
 
There seems to be a confusion as to what a Wellness Visit consist of. My doctor said it is a whole lot of paperwork, not a physical exam. She said from filling out the paperwork it will help with what my overall health prospects are. Like others here I go every six months for a quick once over and bloodwork and re-up my BP prescriptions. It is spelled out in the Medicare Handbook.
 
I was invited to have a medical check when I reached
73 years, they did a good job and said that I was well,
which I knew.

Anyway they have never invited me again, so maybe it
isn't an annual thing here.

Mike.
 
They used to invite me every year, usually round my birthday. I kept telling them that since my wedding anniversary and birthday were close together, that's when we always had a holiday and I'd make an appointment some other time. These check-ups were mostly 'tick the box' questions and if you didn't give the "right" answer the nurse would get all hot under her collar. It was easier just to say what they wanted to hear and they were happy for another year.

They've stopped asking me, but if I'm ill, I'll go and see a GP.
 
:pWe’ve had a visit for several years now. Got one coming up next month. Quick and easy and always a nice Walmart gift card sent to us each year.. Just don’t go pee before they visit, as they will need a sample.:rolleyes:
 
Yes, I do. I have to in order to get my prescriptions refilled for another year. It's mostly just questions and checking my balance and mental acuity. Somehow I manage to pass that last one!
 
I did a few years ago. My PCP asked why I was seeing so many specialists (cardiologist, gastroenterologist, etc.). She said there was no reason to since there was nothing they can do for me that she couldn't do. I was stunned and thought her very overconfident. I asked her if she could do a colonoscopy or a nuclear stress test in her office. She said I don't need those tests. Almost seemed to me that the PCPs are instructed by Medicare to tell patients they don't have to go to specialists or get tested for health issues.
 
Last edited:
I've not seen my PCP in two years. I have a neurologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist and hematologist. What else is there to check? Don't want to find anything else to require more meds. Get flu or pneumonia shot when needed from hematologist. Once a year the insurance company sends out a nurse to my house for the wellness visit. Just basic BP, weight, meds check, etc., and lots of questions.
 
My wellness visit is also my physical, now that I’m a certain age I don’t have any unnecessary scans or exams, I’m allowed to have them but I don’t have a doctor trying to convince me I need them. 😊
 
I only see the doctor every several years when I'm ready to get a blood check. I have Medicare Advantage through Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser sent me a Medicare questionnaire to voluntarily fill out online. I answered all the questions although there was always a choice not to answer each question. None were very invasive, all very general.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top