Care Management Blog

As you may be aware, an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a yearly evaluation of a patient's current health. For Medicare Part B beneficiaries, the appointment is free of cost. During an AWV, a doctor will review the patient's health history, identify any potential health issues, and answer any questions. The main goal of an Annual Wellness Visit is to establish a record of the individual's physical and mental well-being to develop a preventive health plan. While Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) can benefit healthcare providers by improving communication with their patients and helping them collect reimbursements, there are also several advantages for patients themselves.

Medicare now covers an optional screening for social determinants of health (SDOH). As detailed in the 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, this assessment can be conducted during an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV).

For 2024, Medicare has introduced a new Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) assessment. An SDoH assessment is a valuable tool to help to identify known or suspected SDoH needs that may interfere with the diagnosis or treatment of a patient and can help lead to improved outcomes.

With an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), your patient receives an appropriate opportunity to review Advance Care Planning (ACP). You can use this yearly assessment as a time to cover why advanced planning can be of great benefit. In this video, we discuss everything you need to know about the 2024 CPT codes, billing requirements, and reimbursements for Advance Care Planning (ACP), so you can properly bill for this program and maximize your revenue. This includes code 99497 and add-on code 99498.

An Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a preventive screening used to identify gaps in care.