Annual wellness visits, also referred to as routine physical, are a once per year preventative care appointment. Several insurance companies will cover the entire cost for one annual wellness visit per year, as long as only preventative issues are discussed. The goal of preventative health is to find problems before they become larger issues in the future, to monitor your risks over time, and to know how to best compensate for those risks. Preventative care fits nicely within the framework of Cornerstone’s Partnership Plans, and is one of the benefits of offering both functional medicine and primary care under the same roof. If you are someone who enjoys your health, annual wellness visits are still important because they will help you to continue enjoying your health in the future.
A large portion of a wellness visit is spent talking through your history and updating anything that has changed. Discussing your health history and habits will give us a better picture of your health, your risks factors, and how to decrease those risks down the road. Topics of discussion include:
- Health history – have you had any new medical issues, been hospitalized since we last saw you, or developed any new issues?
- Surgical history – have you had any surgeries since we last saw you?
- Family history – has anyone in your family had a change in their health, a new diagnosis, etc? This is important because it could change your risk factors as well.
- Medications/Drug allergies- have you started any new medications or supplements? Have you had a reaction to any medications that we need to know about?
- Social History – many aspects of your life affect your health. Did you have a career change, get married, start working nights instead of days, stop smoking, etc?
An annual wellness visit also includes a physical exam. This may include checking your skin for concerning moles, a breast or pelvic exam, or other types of exams depending on what is needed. You will have an opportunity to ask questions and we will discuss any abnormal findings during the exam.
The last component of an annual wellness visit includes a discussion on preventative labs and imaging based on your risk factors. Your risks are evaluated based on age, family history, and your personal habits and history. Together we will discuss risk factors, recommended screenings, and your comfort level with those screenings. During the appointment the screenings we agree upon will be ordered at the appropriate facility. Preventative screenings that we will discuss include the following:
- Breast cancer screening: mammograms, thermograms, ultrasound, and in office breast exams
- Colon cancer screening: colonoscopy, cologaurd, and fecal occult blood test
- Prostate cancer screening: typically done through lab work
- Cervical cancer screening: pap smears and pelvic exams done in our office
- Lung cancer screening, abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
- Labs: blood counts, kidney function, liver function, blood sugar, cholesterol, and additional labs as indicated
- Bone screening: DEXA scans, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, to check bone density
Insurance requires that we stay within certain parameters during these visits. We cannot go into detail about any specific problem. If you are sick or have an acute concern at the time of your wellness visit we would simply change your visit from the wellness visit to what is called a problem focused visit. We would discuss your more urgent concerns now, and come back to your wellness visit when you are able. Insurance does not allow them to be combined into a single office visit.
If a problem is identified during an annual wellness visit either on exam, through discussion, or on labs and imaging, we will have you come back for a follow up visit for further discussion. This is not considered part of the wellness visit and will be billed as a problem focused visit to insurance. If lab work that is drawn during the wellness visit does not need any further discussion, we will either call you to let you know those results, or send them to you through the online patient portal.
We understand that going to the doctor can be intimidating, especially if you haven’t had a check up in several years. If you are deciding on a primary care physician, an annual wellness visit is a good place to start. It is a great opportunity for you to get to know your provider and see if this is the right physician for you. You will also learn how to decrease your risk factors so that you can enjoy your health in the future.
~ Kyla Conway, PA-C
