When’s the last time you got a check up from your doctor? Well, if you’re in your first 12 months on Medicare’s Part B I’ve got good news for you this week on 65 and counting!
Welcome back everyone. This week we’re gonna talk about something you may or may not have heard about. We’re shining the educational spotlight on your “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit!
Medicare’s Part B covers a “Welcome to Medicare'' preventive visit one time in your first 12 months of having it in effect! You pay nothing for the visit if you're on Original Medicare with or without a Medicare Supplement to go with it! And the same goes for your Medicare Advantage plan, just make sure your docs are in-network for that, although if you’re on a medicare advantage plan your Welcome to Medicare visit may be a little different.
But you might have some co-pays if your doc performs additional tests or services during the same visit as your Welcome to Medicare visit may not cover those.
Ok, so what is it? During the visit, you and your doc will review your medical and social history related to your health. And the doc will provide you with education and counseling regarding preventive services like screenings, flu, and other vaccinations. Your height, weight, and blood pressure measurements, calculations of your body mass index, a simple vision test, and review of your potential risk for depression and your level of safety. In this visit, you should even be provided with a written plan that lets you know which screenings, shots, and other preventive services you need.
Some things you need to know. When you make your appointment, let your doctor's office know you would like to schedule your “Welcome to Medicare” Preventive visit. Make sure to have your medical and immunization records on hand as well as your family health history and a list of your prescriptions, over-the-counter meds, and any vitamins or supplements you currently take and why you take them!
Now you may be thinking, “how nice, they’re paying for our first doctor's appointment to welcome us”. This is true, but really, it benefits Medicare a lot more than you’d think. If you take a look back at what this visit covers, Medicare wants to make sure you’re healthy and keep you that way!
There’s not much more to it than that! Remember, this benefit is completely covered on your original medicare part B. So that means if you have a Medigap Plan G, and you’re worried about having to pay into that annual deductible by using this coverage, you don’t have to! This one’s on Medicare!
I hope you learned a whole lot more about this coverage, and if you still have questions no need to worry about that either! Certified Medicare Planners are standing by to help! I’ll include my email and a phone number to our office in the description of the episode.
Thank you so much for tuning in again! Don’t forget to click the little thumbs up under this video so you get notified when we put out new episodes, share with all your family and friends, and most importantly have a great week!