Medicare Beneficiaries Encouraged to Utilize Free Wellness Visits
Mahaska Health Partnership
MAHASKA COUNTY – As you hit retirement, maintaining your health is important for living a long and healthy life. Mahaska Health Partnership encourages Medicare Part B beneficiaries to utilize free wellness visits.
“Medicare offers a ‘Welcome to Medicare Visit’ as well as ‘Annual Wellness Visits’ every 12 months, as part of the Part B benefit,” MHP Family Practice Physician Dr. Peter Hoftiezer said. “This is a covered service to assess your overall well-being and determine any tests or screenings you should be having.”
According to Dr. Hoftiezer, the focus of healthcare in the United States has been shifting from treatment to prevention. “We look at ways to give people the tools they need to get or stay healthy, to avoid illnesses and injuries we used to be focused on treating. We of course still treat illness and injury, but wouldn’t it be great if you could be making adjustments to your lifestyle now to prevent chronic illnesses in the future?”
To aid in helping people stay well, Medicare offers a no out-of-pocket cost ‘Welcome to Medicare’ visit within 12 months of enrollment and an ‘Annual Wellness Visit’ every year thereafter. These visits are designed to help you take control of your healthcare. “The best way to stay healthy is by living a healthy lifestyle,” Dr. Hoftiezer said. “You can help prevent disease by exercising, eating well, keeping a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco and having the appropriate annual screenings.
“Although the annual wellness visit is not the same thing as having a physical, it provides you with an opportunity to talk with your provider about any health concerns you may have. This free visit allows you and your provider to develop a personalized prevention plan that takes a comprehensive approach to your health.”
At MHP, when you call to schedule an initial or annual Medicare Wellness Visit, you will be connected with Medical Group Care Manager Mary Brandt. An experienced Registered Nurse, Brandt will meet with you to ask questions about your health and assist in any paperwork related to the visit. Brandt will escort you to your provider’s exam room and, if needed, complete an EKG (test to check the activity of your heart).
“During these annual visits, we will discuss you and your health goals. We’ll make a plan together to help you keep your health on track through the coming year,” Dr. Hoftiezer emphasized.
To schedule your ‘Welcome to Medicare’ or ‘Annual Wellness Visit,’ contact Brandt at 641.672.3360.
Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, look MHP up on the web: mahaskahealth.org.
