Medicare Now Provides Coverage for an Annual Wellness Visit and the Initial Preventive Physical Examination
The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) - New for 2011 Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare beneficiaries may now receive coverage for an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), which is a yearly office visit that focuses on preventive health. During the AWV, healthcare providers will review a patient's history and risk factors for diseases, ensure that the patient's medication list is up to date, and provide personalized health advice and counseling. The first AWV also allows the provider to establish a written personalized prevention plan. This new benefit will provide an ongoing focus on prevention that can be adapted as a beneficiary's health needs change over time. Download a complete list of the AWV components<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/AWV_Chart_ICN905706.pdf>. The Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) In addition to the new AWV, Medicare also provides coverage for the Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE), commonly known as the "Welcome to Medicare" Visit (WMV). Medicare has provided coverage for this exam since 2005; it is provided as a one-time service to newly-enrolled beneficiaries. The IPPE is an introduction to Medicare and covered benefits, with a focus on health promotion and disease detection. The IPPE must be performed within the first 12 months after the beneficiary's effective date of their Medicare Part B coverage. It contains a number of components that focus on prevention, including a complete medical/social/family history, a focused physical examination (ie. body mass index, blood pressure, visual acuity), an assessment of functional ability, and counseling. Download a complete list of the IPPE components<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MPS_QRI_IPPE001a.pdf>. Important Note: Medicare provides coverage of the AWV and the IPPE as Medicare Part B benefits. The beneficiary will pay nothing for the AWV and the IPPE (there is no coinsurance or copayment and no Medicare Part B deductible for these benefits). To learn more about the AWV and the IPPE, please refer to Medicare Learning Network's Guide to Medicare Preventive Services for Medicare Fee-For-Service Providers and Suppliers<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf>. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
