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I'm new to Medicare and admit I don't really understand this Welcome to Medicare visit in spite of reading the info available on the Medicare website.
Maybe someone here can help explain it.
As far as I know I have no health issues. I check my blood pressure myself every now and then and it's well under 120/80 with a heart rate in the mid-50s. I don't take any prescription drugs.
I haven't had an annual exam for several years, but last time I did it was covered (along with the routine lab tests, mammogram, etc) by my ACA policy. Everything was fine then.
I'd like to get another check up of that kind, but am I understanding correctly that with Medicare I'll be billed for the routine lab work? What does Medicare cover for a healthy person just wanting a quick check-up/routine lab tests with a doc? I don't understand really the difference between "Welcome to Medicare" and just a normal annual check-up. I don't need to be screened for falling down or depression or hearing or whatever.
Advice?
I can't answer your question but I appreciate you asking as I am pretty much in the same spot. New to Medicare and heading for a physical, with blood work, next week.
I can't answer your question but I appreciate you asking as I am pretty much in the same spot. New to Medicare and heading for a physical, with blood work, next week.
Would you let me know how it plays out for you in terms of what's covered and what's not? Did you specifically make it a "Welcome To Medicare" appointment or just a routine wellness check... what we used to call an "annual physical" but they don't anymore. Now a "physical" is apparently something more thorough than a "wellness" check-up.
I qualified for Medicare in January, have Part A & B and also got a Medigap plan. I haven't made an appointment for a wellness check or the "Welcome to Medicare" visit or anything else yet. (Just loathe going to the doctor's office, so procrastination is normal for me.)
Would you let me know how it plays out for you in terms of what's covered and what's not? Did you specifically make it a "Welcome To Medicare" appointment or just a routine wellness check... what we used to call an "annual physical" but they don't anymore. Now a "physical" is apparently something more thorough than a "wellness" check-up.
I qualified for Medicare in January, have Part A & B and also got a Medigap plan. I haven't made an appointment for a wellness check or the "Welcome to Medicare" visit or anything else yet. (Just loathe going to the doctor's office, so procrastination is normal for me.)
Would appreciate hearing what you learn.
Thanks.
Won't be going until the 14th. But will let you know. After reading this thread yesterday, I called Dr's office and told them my insurance was now Medicare. The woman took my new number and logged it in computer. Before the Dr. does anything I will clarify "visit" type with her.
Would you let me know how it plays out for you in terms of what's covered and what's not? Did you specifically make it a "Welcome To Medicare" appointment or just a routine wellness check... what we used to call an "annual physical" but they don't anymore. Now a "physical" is apparently something more thorough than a "wellness" check-up.
I qualified for Medicare in January, have Part A & B and also got a Medigap plan. I haven't made an appointment for a wellness check or the "Welcome to Medicare" visit or anything else yet. (Just loathe going to the doctor's office, so procrastination is normal for me.)
Would appreciate hearing what you learn.
Thanks.
I had to reschedule my appt. Sorry to not have more info. But when I did call to reschedule I asked the woman who was doing the scheduling if the "Wellness Visit" was the same as the physical my Dr. usually does. She said yes.
I appreciate the check-in. I've been thinking of you. I guess I'll just have to make my own appointment (major procrastinator, here!) and see what's up.
I had to reschedule my appt. Sorry to not have more info. But when I did call to reschedule I asked the woman who was doing the scheduling if the "Wellness Visit" was the same as the physical my Dr. usually does. She said yes.
No, it is not.
The Medicare wellness visit is designed to look for health maintenance items: are your vaccines up to date, do you need a mammogram or colonoscopy, do you need a nutrition consult for weight management.
If you discuss any issues or have an exam or get meds refilled or a new problem is discovered there may be an additional charge.
^I have read those descriptions of the Welcome to Medicare and the Annual Wellness visits a dozen times and it never gets any clearer. And why oh why would a patient and a doctor have to be super careful about not combining diagnostic and preventative in one visit? It's nuts. If you get a check up and the doc sees something they want to send out for a quick lab test to make sure it's nothing... or whatever, all of a sudden the visit is not fully covered? How does that even work in the real world. Like you go in for your Welcome to Medicare visit or an Annual Wellness visit and the doc sees a suspect mole but you have to make a separate appt to do what could have been done in the first one?
As far a I know I have no health problems, so I don't see the point of the Welcome to Medicare visit. I am mobile, I can see, I'm not depressed. If anything, I just want the routine check-up stuff done; the basic blood panel, a mammogram, some basic colon cancer screening (doesn't have to be a full colonoscopy even) and so on. How does a person get that covered like it was routinely under pre-Medicare health care? Do I have to get sick first and go in for some specific problem to get those routine things done in a covered visit? That seems stupid.
So stupid in fact that I think I must be misunderstanding this Welcome to Medicare/Annual Wellness description.
^I have read those descriptions of the Welcome to Medicare and the Annual Wellness visits a dozen times and it never gets any clearer. And why oh why would a patient and a doctor have to be super careful about not combining diagnostic and preventative in one visit? It's nuts. If you get a check up and the doc sees something they want to send out for a quick lab test to make sure it's nothing... or whatever, all of a sudden the visit is not fully covered? How does that even work in the real world. Like you go in for your Welcome to Medicare visit or an Annual Wellness visit and the doc sees a suspect mole but you have to make a separate appt to do what could have been done in the first one?
As far a I know I have no health problems, so I don't see the point of the Welcome to Medicare visit. I am mobile, I can see, I'm not depressed. If anything, I just want the routine check-up stuff done; the basic blood panel, a mammogram, some basic colon cancer screening (doesn't have to be a full colonoscopy even) and so on. How does a person get that covered like it was routinely under pre-Medicare health care? Do I have to get sick first and go in for some specific problem to get those routine things done in a covered visit? That seems stupid.
So stupid in fact that I think I must be misunderstanding this Welcome to Medicare/Annual Wellness description.
The Why is simple, that way Medicare can advertise the benefit but does not have to actually pay for it. Most of the things you mentioned that you want are not covered by the Welcome to Medicare visit. and yes you have to make a separate appointment for each thing that you want to discuss or deal with. But that has been the case with Drs. for a while now, not just Medicare, at least for me it has. you can only discuss one thing per visit.
I was asked yesterday when I wanted to schedule my next appointment. When I said I don't usually go unless I need to, she asked about at least doing the Wellness check. After discussing it for a very few minute, she agreed it a virtually worthless.
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