PPC Health Library
They are different benefits. The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a planning appointment: your health history, risk factors, medications, screening schedule, and a personalized prevention plan - and for most beneficiaries it carries no copay. A traditional annual physical is a hands-on exam - heart, lungs, abdomen, reflexes - and Medicare does not cover it as a free preventive benefit the same way, so it may be billed differently. Many patients schedule both together. The one to never skip is the AWV: it is the visit that keeps your screenings, vaccines, and prevention plan current, at no cost to you.
You review your health history and risk factors, your medication list gets reconciled, your physician checks blood pressure and cognitive health, and you leave with a written screening schedule for the year ahead - mammograms, colon screening, bone density, vaccines. Think of it as the annual strategy session for your health.
The hands-on exam: listening to your heart and lungs, checking your abdomen, skin, joints, and reflexes. Some findings only show up this way. Because Medicare treats it differently from the AWV, ask the office how your visit will be billed when you book - no surprises is a reasonable expectation.
Bring every medication and supplement you take, your questions in writing, and anything that changed this year - new diagnoses, new specialists, falls, mood changes, sleep changes. The visit is only as good as what your physician knows.
Is the AWV really free?
For most Medicare beneficiaries there is no copay when the visit stays within the AWV's scope. Additional problems addressed in the same visit may be billed separately.
How often can I have one?
Once every 12 months.
Do I need both every year?
Many patients benefit from both; your physician can tell you what makes sense for you.
At Personal Physician Care
Annual Wellness Visits and annual physicals are available with all of our primary care physicians, with labs and diagnostics on site - at our Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Hallandale Beach offices. We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicare. Call your office: Boca Raton (561) 750-7509 · Delray Beach (561) 498-5660 · Hallandale Beach (954) 454-9055.
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