A wellness exam, or what used to be called a “physical,” is an annual visit that helps your doctor determine the general status of your health.
During this exam your doctor will:
- Perform a detailed age/gender appropriate physical examination and measurement of your current height, weight, BMI, blood pressure, heart rate and other vital signs
- Identify any screening bloodwork that may be needed, which can include, but is not limited to, measurement of your cholesterol level and blood sugar
- Request updates on your social and family history to further assess risks of disease
- Evaluate your need for any preventive testing that may be recommended (e.g. mammogram, colonoscopy, bone density scan, etc.)
- Update your immunizations
- Make lifestyle recommendations in order to improve your general health
In addition, an important purpose of the visit is to identify any new or ongoing medical problems that you may have which would require additional treatment and/or follow-up visits. However, treatment of these medical problems is not considered to be a part of a wellness examination. (See below for details).
Same-Day Wellness Care And Illness Care Explained
If you have a health problem that you want to discuss with your doctor during your well visit, the doctor may decide to treat that problem during the well visit. However, due to your insurer’s payment policy, this could result in multiple charges for the same visit, depending on the complexity of the problem (e.g., ordering more tests, lengthy discussions, referrals to specialists).
In addition, the problem may be too complex and two separate visits may be needed to ensure the problem is addressed adequately.
We realize the inconvenience this may cause and regret that your insurer’s payment policy has led to these requirements. Your understanding is greatly appreciated.