Annual Wellness Visits (AWV)

Annual Wellness Visits (AWV)

Medicare covers an initial Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) and subsequent AWVs focused on Personalized Prevention Plan Services (PPPS) for Medicare beneficiaries. Beneficiaries will receive an IPPE in the first 12 months they are covered by Medicare Part B. Following the first 12 months of the Part B coverage period, Medicare covers AWVs for beneficiaries if they have not received an IPPE or an AWV within the past 12 months. The initial AWV is a once in a lifetime visit and subsequent AWVs are conducted annually thereafter. AWVs apply only to Medicare FFS; Requirements differ for federally qualified health centers. Both types of AWVs must include a PPPS. Our clinical pharmacists conduct AWVs under the direct supervision of a physician. Components of an AWV include acquiring beneficiary history, assessing said patient and counseling the beneficiary. As a comprehensive offering, our annual wellness visits include the following add-on services:

-Tobacco use cessation counseling
-Alcohol misuse screening
-Behavioral counseling for STI prevention
-Intensive Behavioral Therapy for cardiovascular disease
-Advance Care Planning
-Depression screening
-Diabetic Foot exams
-Cognitive impairment care planning
-Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity
-Educational Services for Chronic Kidney Disease

Health care providers and other health care systems are faced with a challenging new world of value-based reimbursement in health care nowadays. Quality metrics are an essential focus of value-based care. The Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) places a huge emphasis on Quality metrics which providers and health care systems have to meet to receive threshold payments or reimbursement adjustments for services rendered. Our AWV programs help providers and health care systems meet their quality metrics requirements and assist them achieve MIPS scores that trigger bonus payments and positive reimbursement adjustments.

Potential AWV partners:

-Primary care providers
-ACOs
-PCMHs