In many ways, your health is your most precious resource—without it, it’s much more challenging to enjoy day-to-day life. So take ownership of your wellness by staying informed about the preventive and diagnostic care available to you through Medicare.
Each year, Medicare members have access to a covered wellness visit to evaluate their health and help prevent disease and disability. Are you eligible for this exam? Which included screenings could you benefit from? Tri-County Medical Clinic is answering these questions and more about your covered Medicare annual exam in Sterling Heights.
Am I eligible for the Medicare annual exam?
Anyone 65 and older is eligible for Medicare. Some people under 65 with certain disabilities or conditions are also eligible, including those who have:
- Received Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months
- End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease)
To learn more about Medicare coverage for those with disabilities, visit the Center for Medicare Advocacy website.
To be eligible for the Medicare annual exam, you must have been on Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) for a year. During your first year of the program, you’re entitled to the “Welcome to Medicare” visit. Your Medicare exam will take place around 1 year of your enrollment in Part B or your initial “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit.
What is the Medicare annual exam?
An annual Medicare exam, known as a “Wellness Visit,” focuses on developing and maintaining a personalized plan to prevent chronic disease or disability. Our Wellness Visits include a physical examination and blood work. When you attend your Medicare annual exam in Sterling Heights, it will center on common geriatric concerns and specialized preventive care.
Medicare does not cover routine physical checkups. If you’re looking to add a review of your chronic medical conditions and refills of your medications, we can supplement your Wellness Visit with an office checkup—this may require a copayment.
What’s included in the Wellness Visit?
The Wellness Visit begins with a questionnaire, routine measurements, and a review of your medical history. Following these evaluations, your medical provider will facilitate prevention and advanced care planning, including a depression screening and fall risk review. They’ll also schedule any additional recommended screenings and perform a cognitive assessment. Here’s what each of those elements entails:
Health Risk Assessment
Your Tri-County Medical Clinic doctor will provide a Health Risk Assessment questionnaire prior to your appointment to identify which health risks pose a threat to you. It’ll ask questions about your health, habits, environment, and emotions. Here are a few examples of the questions you may be asked:
- Because of any health problems, do you need the help of another person with your personal care needs such as eating, bathing, dressing, or getting around the house?
- In the past 7 days, how often did you eat 3 or more servings of high fiber or whole grain foods in a day?
- Have you experienced any memory issues or problems with thinking?
It’s important to be accurate and honest when completing this questionnaire during your Medicare annual exam in Sterling Heights. Your answers offer crucial insight for your doctor as they prepare for your Wellness Visit, further enabling them to provide prudent medical recommendations.
Routine Measurements
At your Wellness Visit, we’ll measure your height, weight, and blood pressure. Your body measurements help our providers diagnose conditions like obesity or malnutrition. By maintaining a detailed record of these statistics, we can compare your current condition to your “normal” state.
Medical & Family History
A complete knowledge of your medical and family history enables your doctor to more accurately identify and address the concerns we’re working to prevent. The medical history review covers prescriptions, immunizations, surgeries, providers, and lifestyle choices. The family history review goes over hereditary conditions and diseases. It’s valuable to have a comprehensive report of your medical and family history, as it could be integral in preventing or diagnosing future issues.
Personalized Prevention Plan
Developing and updating your personalized prevention plan is the primary goal of your Medicare annual exam in Sterling Heights. According to the World Health Organization, preventable diseases caused 63% of worldwide deaths in 2008. The major preventable diseases are:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cancer
- Chronic respiratory diseases
- Diabetes
From scheduled screenings to diet directives, your prevention plan can include a wide range of wellness strategies. Based on your demographic, Health Risk Assessment questionnaire, body measurements, medical and family history, and cognitive assessment, your doctor will add to and amend your ongoing prevention plan.
For example, if you’re a 40-year-old woman with several relatives wh0’ve had breast cancer, your doctor will ensure you get a mammogram as an element of your prevention plan. Or if your sodium intake is high and your blood pressure exceeds the normal range, your doctor will include more frequent blood pressure monitoring in your prevention plan.
Screening Review
Diagnostic screenings are a significant element of your personalized prevention plan. Your doctor will review a checklist of screenings and make a note of the services that could benefit you. At Tri-County Medical Clinic, we can perform a variety of screenings in-house. If you ever need a screening we don’t offer, we’ll refer you to a trusted colleague from our extensive network of reputable providers.
Advance Care Planning
The purpose of advance care planning is to be prepared for when you need help to make your own medical decisions. Dementia and other factors may impact an individual’s capacity to make responsible decisions about medical treatments. Advance care planning can help determine a person’s preferences for when they can no longer communicate. It includes:
- Choosing a health care proxy: Naming someone you permit to make decisions about your health if you can’t.
- Writing a living will: Outlining which treatment(s) you want if your life is threatened (e.g., dialysis, breathing machines, resuscitation, tube feeding). It also specifies your wishes regarding organ or tissue donation after death.
Advance care planning at your Medicare annual exam in Sterling Heights is voluntary. If you plan to participate in advance care planning at your Wellness Visit, it’s wise to contemplate your choices prior to your appointment.
Cognitive Assessment
Cognitive decline and impairment are more likely in older adults. A mild degree of decline is normal, but more severe impairment indicates an underlying disease. Dementia, including Alzheimer’s, and delirium are most common. Your doctor will pay attention to your cognition and behaviors throughout the Wellness Visit, watching for:
- Trouble remembering
- Difficulty learning new things
- Inability to concentrate
- Struggles with making decisions
The cognitive assessment will also look for symptoms of depression or anxiety. If your provider suspects cognition issues, they’ll make a treatment plan to diagnose and address those concerns.
Maximizing Your Medicare Benefits
If you want to get the most out of your Medicare annual exam in Sterling Heights, here’s some additional information:
Scheduling Your Appointment
Medicare Wellness Visits can take place 12 months after your last one. Be vigilant in scheduling your Wellness Visit each year to avoid gaps in coverage and receive the care you deserve. Neglecting to schedule your appointment could disrupt your personalized prevention plan, causing delays in treatment or diagnosis.
Preparing for Your Visit
It’s advantageous to prepare for your Wellness Visit by:
- Bringing your medications: Your appointment will include a review of your prescription medications. To ensure clarity with your doctor, either bring them along or take a photo of them to show.
- Reviewing your family history: Your doctor will likely ask you questions about your family’s medical history. It’s advisable to review or jot down crucial details about your family history to bring to your doctor.
- Compiling a list of your current health concerns: Visiting the doctor can be overwhelming, making it challenging to remember everything you wanted to discuss. Creating a concise checklist of your concerns will make addressing them all with your doctor more straightforward.
- Developing health goals: Having goals for your health, cognition, and fitness is a great way to enhance your Wellness Visit. It provides your doctor with a better understanding of your concerns, leading to a more effective treatment plan.
Transparency with Your Provider
A considerable proportion of Americans, between 60% and 80%, confess to not being truthful with their doctors about details concerning their health. Without all of the information, how can your medical provider make the best recommendations for your health? Being communicative and transparent with your primary care doctor improves the precision of care they can provide.
The Importance of Annual Wellness Visits
Getting preventive care helps prevent diseases, disabilities, and mortality. Yet, only 5.3% of US adults (35+) had received all the high-priority clinical preventive services recommended for them as of 2020. Taking part in your annual Wellness Visit is the best way to ensure you receive this life-saving preventive care.
Experience the Coverage You’re Owed at Tri-County Medical Clinic
Make sure to prioritize your long-term health by keeping up with your annual exams. Use these visits as an opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have with your healthcare provider. Use the button below to schedule your Medicare annual exam in Sterling Heights at Tri-County Medical Clinic.