The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a comprehensive wellness check that allows providers to collect hierarchical condition category (HCC) codes, target, and close care gaps, preserve their benchmark, and maintain patient-provider attribution during this period of separation. In addition, the AWV can provide updates on a patient’s physical health, behavioral health, and preventative care, including advanced care planning (ACP). 

Annual Wellness Visit

This personalized prevention plan is designed to help prevent disease and disability based on current health and risk factors. Medical providers will fill out a questionnaire, called a “Health Risk Assessment,” as part of this visit. Answering these questions helps providers develop a personalized prevention plan to help patients stay healthy and get the most out of their visits. It can also include:

• A review of a patient's medical and family history

• Developing or updating a list of current providers and prescriptions

• Height, weight, blood pressure, and other routine measurements

• Detection of any cognitive impairment

• Personalized health advice

• A list of risk factors and treatment options for you

• A screening schedule (like a checklist) for appropriate preventive services. Get details about coverage for screenings, shots, and other preventive services

• Advance care planning

Providers will also perform a cognitive assessment to look for signs of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Signs of cognitive impairment include trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, managing finances, and making decisions about a patient's everyday life. If a provider thinks a patient has a cognitive impairment, Medicare covers a separate visit to do a more thorough review of the cognitive function and check for conditions like dementia, depression, anxiety, or delirium.

If patient's have a current prescription for opioids, a provider will perform additional services during the visit.