5 Things to Expect at Your Annual Medicare Wellness Visit

When you go for your Medicare Wellness Visit, you will likely be experiencing a certain list of things that must be covered for by Medicare. If these guidelines are met, then you can expect to have the entire cost of your visit paid for. You should not owe a copay or be responsible for any cost associated with your wellness check. However, if you have additional services rendered to you at your appointment, there may be copay to cover the services provided.

Seniors in the Charlotte area who have Medicare coverage should take full advantage of their annual Medicare wellness visit. This can ensure their health as they age in place in the Matthews, Mint Hill, Monroe, and Mecklenburg County areas. This visit is a great time for you to ask any doctor any health-related questions or bring up concerns about your health that you may have. Your doctor can also talk to you about anything they see that might be a cause for concern in the future. These candid, heart-to-heart talks with your doctor are key to keeping you healthy and finding any possible health problems or concerns early on before they become a much bigger problem.

The following are 5 Things that you can expect at your annual wellness visit with your doctor:

Review Your Medical/Family History:

Your doctor will likely discuss your family's medical history with you and discuss anything that they might be concerned about. If you are at additional risk of certain health problems, you can get tests done and take other precautionary measures to ensure that you remain healthy as you continue to age in place in Charlotte.

Update Your List of Prescription Medications:

Your doctor will likely ask you to update your list of medications that you take when you get your wellness checkup. Your doctor will want to make sure that your medications are working for you or if changes need to be made to your medications as you age.

Have Your "Vitals" & Basic Information Taken:

Your doctor will take your vitals and your basic information such as your height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate to make sure that your numbers are all good. These numbers being "off" can be the first indications of bigger problems such as high blood pressure or weight gain down the road.

Schedule Preventative Screenings:

If you are due for preventative screenings, tests, or other services, your doctor can help recommend providers that are covered by your healthcare plan. If you need to schedule treatments like colonoscopies, mammograms, other cancer screenings, MRIs, CT scans, or other basic services and aren't sure how to do so, your doctor can help guide you to the right place to get your appointments. Preventative care is generally much easier to keep up on than taking care of a problem after it already arises.

Allows You to Ask Questions:

If you have questions for your doctor, your annual Medicare wellness visit is a great time to ask for such advice. If you are looking to make lifestyle changes or do something new/different, your doctor would be able to advise you. Moreover, if you have concerns about your health or a condition that you have developed, your doctor can speak to you about your concerns and offer you additional advice moving forward.

This is an idea of what you can expect at your annual Medicare wellness visit. Your doctor should be taking time to make sure that you are comfortable with your treatment plans. They should make sure you are not showing any signs of potential illnesses or other health problems that may become an issue down the road. Considering that there is no copay for these visits, it's highly recommended that you attend your wellness check on an annual basis to keep yourself healthy as you continue to age in place in Charlotte.