Annual physical exams

[John]

According to what medicare covers, there is not an annual physical exam.  But there is an annual wellness exam. That exam is only talk. You get asked 2 dozen questions about how you feel about yourself.  But no listening to heart, lungs, etc.  No unpleasant poking.  Just talk.

Patient: Doc, I feel great.

Doc: That's great, you passed!

If you want a real exam, you either have to schedule it separately without any medicare coverage, or complain about your big toe hurting to get a complete exam.

[ZeWazir]

According to what medicare covers, there is not an annual physical exam.  But there is an annual wellness exam. That exam is only talk. You get asked 2 dozen questions about how you feel about yourself.  But no listening to heart, lungs, etc.  No unpleasant poking.  Just talk.

Patient: Doc, I feel great.

Doc: That's great, you passed!

If you want a real exam, you either have to schedule it separately without any medicare coverage, or complain about your big toe hurting to get a complete exam.



 

This depends entirely on your primary care physician.  Wellness exams, is simply a new term for an old concept, as defined under the Muslim Führer's insurance law. They defined several items which fall under the general heading of "preventative care" and are covered 100% with no deductible by most insurance coverage, including Medicare.**

Of course, the result of this, compensation for wellness exams are only paid out at a significantly reduced rate from the standard office visit, which are most often considered to be either "diagnostic" or "treatment." Some physicians who resent the reduced payment plan for preventative exams are responding by minimizing those exams to an interview.

OTOH, some are still treating a "wellness exam" the same as the original "annual physical" which the "wellness exam" has replaced.  My doc does the same thing he's been doing once a year for the last 15 years, which includes a basic interview, then listening to my heart and lungs three times: first right after the interview, second right after having me some type of exercise (Hop on one foot 100 times, please....) then third time after ten minutes rest. He also has the results from a complete blood analysis, which I have performed through my workplace through our "wellness" program. If there are any numbers out of "normal (which my triglycerides always are...) we go over those numbers and discuss what they mean, and whether they indicate the need for treatment.  He even asks about my teeth, which are in really bad shape, but I never seem to have the $$$ to do anything about them.  At the same time, I know he gets only a little more than 2/3 of his normal fee for such a visit, because I see the charge on my insurance statement. But he doesn't seem to mind, or at least he doesn't let it affect how he treats me.



**  My wife had a "preventative care" colonoscopy 3 years ago. It cost us nothing out of pocket, and was billed to our insurance at a little over $1500.  This year, she had to have another one, due to having blood in her stool.  It  cost us over $4000 out of pocket, because this one was "diagnostic" instead of "preventative." We can only have 1 colonoscopy every 5 years to be "preventative."  On a positive note, that means her annual deductible/OOP is now met, and everything she needs from now through the end of August will be paid 100%, Since my wife almost invariably goes over her OOP every year, it's kind of an advantage to get it out of the way early. (MY deductible is also met this year (rare) - and I don't even like to think how much my triple bypass cost if we didn't have good insurance. I almost ruined my bypass when I saw the insurance statement!!)
 

[John]

The bottom line is I have scheduled another office visit to review some additional lab work and a complete exam will be performed.  My point was the absurdity in the gov dumbing down an annual physical and the measures to circumvent the nonsense.
 

[ZeWazir]

The bottom line is I have scheduled another office visit to review some additional lab work and a complete exam will be performed.  My point was the absurdity in the gov dumbing down an annual physical and the measures to circumvent the nonsense.
 


 

I will not deny the government (ie: O-Care) screwed up a whole lotta things, including how paying for the traditional annal exam is handled, and how that in turn affects patient care. (Do leftists EVER understand - or even acknowledge - the principle of unintended consequences?)

I am, however, thankful my doc decided not to take the fed's nonsense on his patients by changing how he handles annual exams.