The Evolving Annual Wellness Visit

Today, we're diving deep into a crucial aspect of preventive healthcare: the annual wellness visit. Our guest is Christopher Wheelock, MD, a clinical transformation physician executive at Highmark Health, responsible for developing payer and provider collaborations to move toward value-based care. In the past, he was heavily involved with developing the workflow, patient scripting and templating for the annual wellness visit when CMS first established it in 2011 as part of the Affordable Care Act.

In today’s episode, Wheelock sheds light on the various elements of the annual wellness visit, including self-assessments of psychosocial issues and screenings for conditions like dementia and incontinence. He also explains the expansion of services in 2025 for Medicare beneficiaries.

We also explore the intricacies of coding and billing for these visits, especially if they go beyond the scope of the annual wellness visit; the value they bring to patients, providers, and payers; and the critical role of effective communication and preparation to maximize the benefit of the annual wellness visit.

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