A primary care provider can offer yearly appointments to their patients through the Annual Wellness Visit or AWV. Medicare Annual Wellness Visits let practices improve a patient’s health, increase a clinic’s revenue, and improve their quality scores through value-based reimbursement programs.
This service helps providers create a personalized prevention plan for their patients to stay on top of their health. It is about an hour-long process wherein they monitor, assess, and prevent illnesses, depending on the patient’s current health status and risk factors.
Why You Should Hold an AMW in Your Clinic
Your patients and your clinic can get a lot of benefits from Medicare Annual Wellness Visits. Here are some of the essential advantages you need to know as a provider.
1. It is more than the patient’s regular physical exam
This wellness visit assesses a patient’s overall health, and there is nothing more important than knowing that they are in good condition. Use this opportunity to coordinate care with them. Ask about your patient’s overall wellbeing, and discuss their medical and family history.
You can go over their current health conditions and the medications and supplements they are currently taking. The process involves getting your patient’s body vitals, such as height and weight, body mass index, blood pressure, and vision. It is also the opportunity to raise any recommended screenings or vaccinations if necessary.
Knowing your patient’s current health status through AWV can help reduce serious health problems later.
2. It helps your practice, too
An AWV is reimbursable over and above the standard office visit CPT codes. CPT, or Current Procedural Terminology, is a set of codes, descriptions, and guidelines that describe the services and procedures performed by physicians and health providers. Every service you offer has a specific code.
If a patient has their AWV today, you can add a significant and separately identifiable evaluation and management service code from the same physician on the same day of the procedure or other services. If they want to discuss a particular health topic or advanced care planning, they may do so.
The wellness visit acts as a channel for meeting the provisions for value-based reimbursement programs, including calls for documenting quality improvement and conduct of practice improvement projects.
3. It encourages the patient’s loyalty
Unfortunately, not all patients know that AWV exists. Anyone under Part B has an initial AWV in their first year of membership. The next year makes them eligible for the second year, and so on. All these visits are covered by Medicare, although there may be charges for other services, such as immunizations, lab draws, and more.
When people learn about free services like this, they are more likely to visit your healthcare facility. These are the kinds of visits they need to take care of their health and assure you of long-term loyalty from clients.
4. Reason for quality time with patients
A patient will need around 40 to 60 minutes to finish a session. During this time, clinicians can have meaningful exchanges with the patient and get to more about them. Other health concerns may arise that will encourage them to come back for an actual test or follow-up care.
Conclusion
Preventative care is a vital service all healthcare facilities should provide. Besides ensuring that your patients are in their best health possible, an Annual Wellness Visit provides more opportunities for your business.
If you do not have annual wellness visit services in your healthcare facilities yet, we can help. At Medistics Health, we aim to simplify patient care. Contact us today so we can assist you.