A Medicare wellness visit is a free annual checkup covered by Medicare Part B that focuses on prevention and catching health problems early
Medicare covers one wellness visit per year at no cost to you — no copay, no deductible. During this visit, your doctor reviews your overall health, checks your vital signs, and screens for common conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. The visit is not meant to treat an illness you already know about; it is meant to find problems before you have symptoms.
The wellness visit is different from a regular sick visit. If you go to your doctor because you have chest pain or a cough, that is a separate appointment and may have a copay. The wellness visit is preventive only. You can have both in the same year — the wellness visit does not replace sick visits.
Key Takeaways
- Medicare Part B covers one wellness visit per calendar year at no cost, and you do not need to be sick to schedule one.
- Your doctor will take your blood pressure, weight, and other measurements, and ask about your medical history, medications, and any concerns.
- The visit includes screening for depression, cognitive decline, and risk of falling — conditions that often go unnoticed without a formal check.
- You should bring a list of all your medications and any recent test results so your doctor has a complete picture of your health.
- If your doctor finds a problem during the wellness visit and wants to treat it, that treatment is a separate visit and may have a copay.
What Your Doctor Will Do During the Visit
Your doctor will start by taking your vital signs: blood pressure, weight, height, and sometimes pulse and temperature. They will ask about your medical history, including any surgeries, hospitalizations, or chronic conditions. They will also review all the medications and supplements you take, because sometimes medicines interact in ways that cause problems.
Your doctor will ask about your daily life: whether you fall, whether you feel sad or hopeless, whether you have trouble remembering things, and whether you feel safe at home. These questions may seem straightforward, but they catch depression, cognitive problems, and fall risk — conditions that seniors often do not mention on their own. Your doctor will also ask about your family history of heart disease, cancer, and other serious illnesses.
At the end of the visit, your doctor will discuss what they found and may recommend screenings or preventive care based on your age and health. For example, they might recommend a colonoscopy, bone density scan, or blood work. These recommendations are separate from the wellness visit itself.
Screenings and Tests Included in the Wellness Visit
The wellness visit includes screening for several conditions. Your doctor will assess your risk of heart disease and stroke by looking at your blood pressure, weight, and family history. They will screen for depression using a standard questionnaire. They will also check for signs of cognitive decline — memory problems or confusion — and assess your risk of falling by watching how you walk and balance.
Depending on your age and health, your doctor may also screen for diabetes, high cholesterol, and certain cancers. However, the wellness visit itself does not include blood tests or imaging. If your doctor thinks you need blood work or an X-ray, they will order it as a separate test, and Medicare will cover it if it is medically necessary.
Your doctor may also discuss preventive services you may need, such as flu shots, pneumonia vaccines, or shingles vaccines. These vaccines are covered by Medicare Part B and can often be given during the wellness visit or at a follow-up appointment.
What to Bring and How to Prepare
Bring a list of all medications and supplements you take, including the dose and how often you take them. If you do not have a written list, bring the bottles themselves. Bring your Medicare card and any other insurance cards you have. If you have had recent blood work or other tests done at another doctor's office, bring those results so your doctor has the full picture.
Write down any health concerns or questions you want to discuss, even if they seem minor. The wellness visit is your chance to talk about things that bother you — trouble sleeping, joint pain, memory problems, or anything else. Your doctor may not have time to address every concern in detail, but they will know what matters to you.
Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes so your doctor can check your blood pressure and examine you if needed. Plan to spend 30 to 45 minutes at the appointment.
How to Schedule Your Wellness Visit
Call your primary care doctor's office and ask to schedule your annual wellness visit. Tell them you have Medicare and want to schedule the preventive visit covered under Part B. Some offices call it a "wellness visit," others call it an "annual physical" or "preventive visit." The name varies, but the coverage is the same.
If you do not have a primary care doctor, you can see any doctor who accepts Medicare. You can find doctors in your area through Medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. Some community health centers also offer wellness visits to Medicare patients.
You can have your wellness visit once per calendar year. If you had one in January, you can have another one in December of the same year and count it as your visit for the next year. However, Medicare will only pay for one per year, so scheduling two close together does not give you extra coverage.
What Happens If Your Doctor Finds a Problem
If your doctor finds something during the wellness visit that needs treatment — for example, high blood pressure or signs of depression — they will discuss it with you and may recommend follow-up care. That follow-up care is a separate visit and is not part of the wellness visit.
If you need treatment for a condition your doctor found, you will likely have a copay for that visit, depending on your Medicare plan. Some Medicare Advantage plans cover preventive care differently than Original Medicare, so check your plan documents or call your plan to understand your costs.
Your doctor may also order tests based on what they find. For example, if your blood pressure is high, they might order blood work to check your kidney function. These tests are covered by Medicare if they are medically necessary, but you may have a copay depending on your plan.
Medicare Advantage Plans and Wellness Visits
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), you also get a free annual wellness visit. The visit is the same — your doctor will review your health and screen for common conditions. However, some Medicare Advantage plans offer additional preventive services beyond what Original Medicare covers, such as vision, hearing, or dental care. Check your plan documents to see what extra services your plan includes.
Some Medicare Advantage plans also offer wellness programs, such as fitness classes or nutrition counseling. These are separate from the wellness visit and vary by plan. Call your plan to ask what wellness programs are available to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to have a wellness visit every year?
No, the wellness visit is optional. Medicare covers it, but you do not have to use it. However, preventive care can catch problems early when they are easier to treat, so most doctors recommend having one every year.
Can I have a wellness visit if I am already sick?
Yes, but if you go to your doctor because you are sick, that is a sick visit, not a wellness visit. You can have both in the same year. If you schedule a wellness visit and then get sick before the appointment, you can keep the wellness visit appointment and have a separate sick visit another time.
What if my doctor wants to treat something during the wellness visit?
If your doctor finds a problem and wants to treat it during the same appointment, that treatment is a separate service and may have a copay. Ask your doctor before they start treatment so you know what your costs will be.
Does the wellness visit include blood work?
The wellness visit itself does not include blood tests. However, your doctor may order blood work based on what they find during the visit. If the blood work is medically necessary, Medicare will cover it, though you may have a copay depending on your plan.
What if I miss my wellness visit?
You can schedule another one anytime during the same calendar year. There is no penalty for missing an appointment. You get one wellness visit per year, so if you miss it in January, you can still have one in December.