Annual Checkups

Yearly checkups are your most important appointments with your EvergreenHealth primary care provider (PCP). Also called preventive visits, physicals, or wellness exams, these appointments show your doctor what you're like when you're healthy. That helps them diagnose and treat you when you're sick.

Preventive Visits

Preventive visits include:

• Review of your medical history
• General health exam tailored for your age and gender
• Nutrition and exercise recommendations
• Education about preventive health services, such as screenings and immunizations (vaccines)
• Referrals for tests such as mammograms and colonoscopies, which can find health problems before you experience symptoms

Insurance Coverage

Most commercial insurance plans and Medicare Advantage plans cover a preventive visit every 12 months.

You do not have coverage for preventive visits if you:

• Have a traditional Medicare plan
• Have Medicaid and are older than 20

Medicare Wellness Visits

Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans typically cover a yearly wellness visit that involves:

• Reviewing your medical and family history
• Developing or updating a list of your health care providers and medications
• Recording your height, weight, blood pressure, and other routine measurements
• Screening for depression and cognitive impairment (trouble thinking or remembering)
• Scheduling other screenings (preventive tests)
• Counseling you on ways to protect your health

Discussing Medical Concerns

When scheduling your annual appointment, tell us if you'd also like to ask your doctor about a health concern. If time allows, your doctor may be able to address it during your visit.

Your insurance provider may charge a copay for this "second service" or for:

• New issues your doctor identifies that need testing and treatment
• Review/follow up of a prior health concern or medication

If there's not time to discuss your concerns during your yearly visit, we'll schedule a separate appointment.

Advance Care Planning

Advanced care planning lets us know your wishes for future medical care, and who will make those decisions if you aren't able to.

If you have questions, you can email the Advance Care Planning team.