The Annual Wellness Visit is a yearly appointment for Medicare patients to discuss their plan of preventive care for the coming year. Unlike a physical exam, the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is an opportunity for the provider and the patient to have a conversation about important topics such as home safety, health risks, advance directives and development of a care plan.
The AWV is NOT a routine visit in which a physical examination and treatment of conditions is performed. The AWV can be conducted (and billed for) in conjunction with a routine visit to avoid scheduling a separate appointment to address conditions that require attention. CMS video on AWV. click here
Comparison of AWV with a preventive visit exam:click here
View Required Elements of INITIAL AWV and SUBSEQUENT AWV (must be documented to pass a chart audit)
Video Example of Annual Wellness Visit
Information and Materials for the Healthcare Team
Listed below are materials to help your practice understand the Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) and aid in developing a workflow, along with tools you can use with patients to support them in achieving their wellness goals. This material is provided for your convenience, but the ultimate resource is www.cms.gov
Healthcare Team Tools
Office Manager Tools
Provider Perspective
Workflow Planning
Patient Eligibility
Scripts and Outreach for Scheduling
Patient Information and Documents
The following information can be used as mailers, handouts, displayed in your office, and/or housed on your website.
Before the Visit
During the Visit
Note: CMS App, “What’s Covered” gives consumers a modernized Medicare experience with direct access on a mobile device to some of the most-used content on Medicare.gov. (see link listed under our “Resources, Education & Videos” section.
Practice Workflows
Clinical Screening Tools
Advance Directive & End of Life
Preventive Plans
Resources and Education
Community Services and Resources
National Diabetes Education Program (patient and practice resources)
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-communication-programs/ndep/Pages/index.aspx
