The Welcome to Medicare preventive visit is a one-time appointment you can choose to receive when you are new to Medicare. The aim of the visit is to promote general health and help prevent diseases.
Eligibility
Medicare Part B Part B, also known as medical insurance, is the part of Medicare that covers most medically necessary doctors’ services, preventive care, hospital outpatient care, durable medical equipment (DME), laboratory tests, x-rays, mental health services, and some home health care and ambulance services. covers your one-time Welcome to Medicare preventive visit. Note that you must receive this visit within the first 12 months of your Part B enrollment.
Covered services
During the course of your Welcome to Medicare preventive visit, your provider See Health Care Provider. should:
- Check your height, weight, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and vision
- Review your medical and social history
- Review your potential for depression and other mental health conditions
- Review your ability to function safely in the home and community
- Provide you with education, counseling, and referrals related to your risk factors and other health needs
- Give you a checklist and/or written plan with information about other preventive services you may need
The Welcome to Medicare preventive visit is not a head-to-toe physical. This visit is also separate from the Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), which you can choose to receive once each year.
Costs
Original Medicare Original Medicare, also known as Traditional Medicare, is the fee-for-service health insurance program offered through the federal government, which pays providers directly for the services you receive. Almost all doctors and hospitals in the U.S. accept Original Medicare. covers the Welcome to Medicare preventive visit at 100% of the Medicare-approved amount when you receive the service from a participating provider. This means you pay nothing (no deductible or coinsurance). Medicare Advantage Medicare Advantage, also known as Part C, Medicare Private Health Plan, or Medicare Managed Care Plan, allows you to get Medicare coverage from a private health plan that contracts with the federal government. All Medicare Advantage Plans must offer at least the same benefits as Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), but can do so with different rules, costs, and coverage restrictions. Plans typically offer Part D drug coverage as part of Medicare Advantage benefits. Medicare Advantage Plans include Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans, Special Needs Plans (SNPs), and Medicare Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs). Plans are required to cover this visit without applying deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance when you see an in-network In-network means part of a private health plan’s network of providers. If you use doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and durable medical equipment suppliers that are in your Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D plan’s network, you will generally pay less than if you go to out-of-network providers. provider and meet Medicare’s eligibility requirements for the service.
During the course of your preventive visit, your provider may discover and need to investigate or treat a new or existing problem. This additional care is considered diagnostic, meaning your provider is treating you because of certain symptoms or risk factors. Medicare may bill you for any diagnostic care you receive during a preventive visit.