What Is the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit?
The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a yearly appointment with your doctor covered at $0 cost under Medicare Part B — no copay, no deductible. It's not a physical exam; it's a health assessment and prevention planning session.
During your AWV, your doctor will:
- Review your health history and update your medical record
- Assess your risk factors for disease
- Create or update your personalized prevention plan
- Check your blood pressure, weight, height, and BMI
- Screen for cognitive impairment (memory and thinking)
- Screen for depression
- Review your current medications
- Update your advance care planning documents
Annual Wellness Visit vs. Regular Physical
Many Florida seniors confuse the Annual Wellness Visit with a regular physical exam. Key differences:
Annual Wellness Visit: Covered at $0, focuses on prevention planning and risk assessment, no blood work or hands-on physical examination required.
'Welcome to Medicare' Preventive Visit: One-time visit within your first 12 months of Part B. Different from the AWV. Also covered at $0.
Regular physical exam: Medicare does not cover routine physical exams. If you want a comprehensive physical with hands-on examination and lab work, you'll pay the standard Part B cost-sharing (or your Medigap covers it if services are medically necessary).
The AWV is designed as a planning and screening tool, not a diagnostic exam.
What to Bring to Your Florida Annual Wellness Visit
- Complete medication list — All prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements with doses
- Family health history — First-degree relatives' major health conditions
- Insurance cards — Medicare card and Medigap card
- List of questions — Any health concerns you want to discuss
- Advance directives — Healthcare proxy or living will if you have one
- History of vaccinations — So your doctor can identify any gaps
Free Preventive Services to Use Alongside Your AWV
The AWV is the gateway to additional free Medicare preventive services. Ask your Florida doctor to order screenings you may be due for:
- Colorectal cancer screening (colonoscopy)
- Mammograms for women
- Lung cancer CT scan (for current/former smokers ages 50–77)
- Diabetes screening
- Cardiovascular disease risk screening
- Flu and pneumonia vaccines
- Shingles vaccine (Shingrix — under Part D, not Part B)
Take full advantage of these $0 preventive benefits. They're included in your Medicare regardless of whether you have Medigap — and Medigap ensures that any follow-up care needed after screenings is covered with minimal out-of-pocket cost.