The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit: What It Is (and What It Isn't)
A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is not the same as a physical exam. Here is what is actually covered, what to bring, and how to get the most from it.
Every year we meet patients who booked a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit expecting a head-to-toe physical — and were surprised by what the appointment actually covers. Both visits are worth having. They are simply not the same thing.
What the Annual Wellness Visit covers
The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a prevention-planning appointment. The focus is on building and updating a personalised prevention plan rather than examining you head to toe.
- A health risk assessment you help complete
- A review of your medical and family history
- A current list of your medications, supplements and other providers
- Routine measurements — height, weight, blood pressure
- Screening for cognitive changes
- A written schedule of the screenings you are due for
What it does not include
The AWV does not normally include a hands-on physical examination, and it is not the place to work up a new symptom. If you arrive with a specific problem — chest pain, a persistent cough, a painful joint — that is a separate concern and may be billed separately.
It also does not automatically include blood work. Labs are ordered when they are clinically indicated, based on your history and what you are due for.
Welcome to Medicare, AWV, and a physical — the difference
- Welcome to Medicare visit — a one-time preventive visit available during your first 12 months on Part B.
- Annual Wellness Visit — available every 12 months after that. Prevention planning.
- Annual physical — a hands-on examination. Valuable, but a separate service that may be billed differently.
How to get the most out of it
- Bring every medication, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements — the actual bottles are ideal.
- Bring the names and contact details of any specialists you see.
- Write down what you have noticed since last year: sleep, memory, balance, mood, appetite.
- Know your family history, particularly heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
- Bring records of screenings done elsewhere, so nothing gets repeated unnecessarily.
If you are not sure which visit you need, call us and describe what you are hoping to get out of the appointment — our staff will book you the right one.
Book an appointment
Choose a time online with Dr. Vijay Katari, MD at our Frisco or McKinney office, or call (214) 884-2774.
This article is general health information, not medical advice, and it cannot account for your individual circumstances. Please discuss your own care with Dr. Vijay Katari, MD or your regular physician. In an emergency, call 911.
Reviewed August 2026 by Dr. Vijay Katari, MD.