- September 02, 2026
Disclaimer: Content reviewed and maintained by the clinical team at Windermere Medical Group. This content is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider.
Every year, millions of Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for a visit that costs them nothing out of pocket, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood benefits in the entire program. The Medicare annual wellness visit isn’t a physical exam, isn’t optional paperwork, and isn’t something to skip because nothing feels wrong.
Understanding what’s included in the visit and how to prepare can help you make the most of your appointment. From reviewing your medical history and medications to discussing preventive screenings and health goals, the visit provides an opportunity to stay proactive about your health.
It’s a structured, preventive conversation designed to catch problems early and build a health roadmap for the year ahead, and understanding what it actually includes changes how useful it becomes.
What Is the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit?
The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), is a yearly benefit available to Medicare Part B beneficiaries who have had Medicare coverage for at least 12 months. It was introduced in 2011 specifically to shift Medicare’s focus toward prevention rather than only treating illness after it develops.
Unlike a traditional physical exam, the AWV typically doesn’t include hands-on examination in the way most patients expect. Instead, it centers on risk assessment, screening, and planning.
This distinction trips up many patients searching for a Medicare wellness exam near you, who expect something closer to a traditional checkup. Understanding the actual format in advance helps set the right expectations and makes the visit far more useful.
Annual Wellness Visit vs. Annual Physical: The Real Difference
| Feature | Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) | Traditional Annual Physical |
| Medicare coverage | Covered at no cost (Part B, criteria met) | Typically not covered by Original Medicare |
| Physical exam | Minimal to none | Full hands-on physical exam |
| Focus | Prevention planning, screening, risk assessment | Diagnosis and treatment of current symptoms |
| Cognitive screening | Included | Not typically included |
| Personalized prevention plan | Created or updated | Not standard |
| Lab work | Not typically included in the visit itself | Often ordered as part of the exam |
What's Included in the Visit
A typical AWV covers several structured components, though the exact checklist can vary slightly by provider and by whether it’s a first-time or subsequent visit.
- Health risk assessment questionnaire: Usually completed before or at the start of the visit, covering medical history, family history, current medications, and lifestyle factors
- Review of medical and family history: Including current providers and specialists involved in care
- Height, weight, blood pressure, and BMI check
- Cognitive impairment screening: A brief, standardized assessment to detect early signs of memory or thinking changes
- Functional ability and safety review: Includes fall risk screening and questions about home safety and daily activity level
- Depression screening: A short questionnaire assessing mood and mental health.
- Review and update of current medications and supplements
- Personalized prevention plan: A written schedule of recommended screenings for the next 5 to 10 years, based on age, risk factors, and current guidelines
- Advance care planning discussion: Optional, patient-initiated conversation about future care preferences
Who Is Eligible, and How Often
- Must be enrolled in Medicare Part B
- Must have had Part B coverage for at least 12 months
- The first AWV can be completed after the 12-month mark following either enrollment or the one-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit
- Subsequent AWVs are available once every 12 months
- No copay or deductible applies when the visit meets Medicare’s criteria for a covered wellness visit
How to Prepare for the Visit
- Bring a complete medication list, including over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements; original bottles work well if a written list isn’t ready.
- Write down any symptoms or concerns, even minor ones, so they aren’t forgotten once the visit starts.
- Bring a list of other providers and specialists, including recent visits, tests, or procedures.
- Note any recent falls, changes in balance, or new difficulty with daily tasks.
- Bring family health history details if this is your first visit or if anything has changed since your last visit.
- Consider bringing a family member, especially if memory, hearing, or communication support would help.
- Prepare queries in advance about screenings, vaccinations, or specific health goals for the year.
Myths That Keep Seniors From Scheduling This Visit
A surprising number of eligible Medicare beneficiaries skip their Annual Wellness Visit each year, often because of a few persistent misunderstandings.
“I already had a physical, so I don’t need this too.” A physical exam and an AWV serve different purposes and aren’t interchangeable. The AWV’s cognitive screening, fall risk assessment, and prevention plan aren’t typically part of a standard physical, so skipping them leaves real gaps in preventive care.
“I feel fine, so there’s nothing to check.” The entire point of a wellness visit is catching issues before symptoms appear. Cognitive decline, rising fall risk, and medication conflicts frequently develop without any obvious warning sign until they cause a bigger problem.
“It’s going to cost me something.” As long as Part B eligibility criteria are met, there’s no copay or deductible for the AWV. The only scenario in which a cost applies is when a separate, non-preventive health concern is addressed in detail during the same visit.
“I’ll just wait until my next regular appointment.” Because the AWV is limited to once every 12 months and includes structured screenings that don’t happen automatically at other visit types, waiting means losing that year’s opportunity for the cognitive screening, fall risk review, and updated prevention plan altogether.
Can the Annual Wellness Visit Be Done by Telehealth?
For many patients, at least part of the AWV can be completed via telehealth, particularly the health risk assessment questionnaire, medication review, and cognitive screening components, which don’t require hands-on examination.
This has made the benefit considerably more accessible for patients with mobility limitations, those without reliable transportation, or caregivers trying to coordinate an appointment around a difficult schedule. It’s worth confirming with a specific provider how the visit will be structured before scheduling.
How Windermere Medical Group Approaches the Annual Wellness Visit
An Annual Wellness Visit is only as useful as the provider who conducts it, which is why continuity matters more than almost anywhere else in senior care. Dr. Swachitha Kothapally has built her practice around making every visit count toward a patient’s actual health goals, not just checking a box for the year.
What patients can expect:
- Unrushed screening: Enough time built in to properly work through the risk assessment, cognitive screening, and prevention plan
- A provider who already knows their history: Subtle year-over-year changes get caught early rather than missed
- Digital access between visits: The healow patient portal keeps lab results, prevention plans, and provider messages a few taps away
- Connected chronic care: The same team manages diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, and heart health, so the AWV’s prevention plan feeds directly into ongoing treatment
- Same-day imaging and labs: Follow-up testing the visit surfaces can often happen without a separate trip
The Bottom Line
The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is one of the most underused high-value benefits available to seniors, largely because its structure doesn’t align with what most patients expect from a checkup. It won’t replace a physical exam or bloodwork, but it will surface fall risk, cognitive changes, medication issues, and a clear prevention roadmap, all at no direct cost when eligibility criteria are met.
For North Georgia seniors researching a Medicare wellness exam near you, the most useful next step is simply scheduling it, ideally with a primary care team that already knows the patient’s history and can carry the prevention plan forward into the rest of the year’s care rather than treating it as a one-time checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, when Part B eligibility criteria are met, there’s no copay, coinsurance, or deductible for the AWV itself.
No, it focuses on risk assessment, screening, and planning rather than a full hands-on physical.
Sometimes, but the physical may be billed separately since Original Medicare typically doesn’t cover routine physicals.
Nothing penalizes you directly, but you lose a year of structured screening and prevention planning.
Most Medicare Advantage plans cover it similarly to Original Medicare, though it’s worth confirming specifics with the plan.
