For nearly two decades, Better Health Group has been a leader in value-based care and operating top-rated primary care clinics. Our network of owned and independent clinics leverage our model to improve care for both Medicare Advantage (MA) and Traditional Medicare patients. Now, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has ranked Better Health Group in the top 5% of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) for performance year 2023.
At a time when independent clinics face mounting challenges, our providers are exceeding CMS quality goals and maximizing shared savings revenue, in every state in which we operate—Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
What Is the Annual Wellness Visit?
The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a Medicare Part B preventive benefit focused on developing or updating a personalized prevention plan for each patient, based on their current health, risk factors, and history. It is not a physical exam. Medicare has never covered routine annual physicals; the AWV was introduced in 2011 specifically to fill that preventive-care gap with something more structured and more proactive.
Patients are eligible for one AWV every 12 months once they've been enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than a year, and it's covered at no cost* to the patient when the provider accepts assignment.
What Actually Happens During an AWV?
An AWV centers on a Health Risk Assessment (HRA), a questionnaire covering demographics, health status, psychosocial and behavioral risk factors, and activities of daily living. From there, the visit typically includes:
- Review of medical and family history and current medications
- Basic measurements (height, weight, BMI, blood pressure)
- Cognitive impairment screening
- Depression screening
- A personalized prevention plan, including referrals and recommended screenings for the year ahead
Why the AWV Matters More in Value-Based Care Than Fee-for-Service
In a fee-for-service model, an AWV is just another billable visit. In a value-based arrangement, it's the single most efficient entry point for nearly everything else that drives performance:
- It's often the visit where overdue HEDIS screenings get identified and closed
- It's the annual touchpoint required to re-document chronic conditions for accurate HCC coding
- It surfaces social and behavioral risk factors that predict cost and utilization
- It's a natural point to enroll patients in chronic care management or other value-based programs
What This Means for Independent Practices
The AWV isn't an add-on to a value-based care strategy, it's often the foundation of one. A practice that reliably schedules and completes AWVs for its Medicare panel is, in the same motion, closing HEDIS gaps, refreshing risk adjustment data, and identifying patients who need more support, all in a single, fully covered visit.
FAQ
- Is the Annual Wellness Visit the same as an annual physical? No. Medicare does not cover routine physical exams. The AWV is a preventive planning visit, not a head-to-toe physical.
- How often can a patient receive an AWV? Once every 12 months, after being enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than a year.
- Who can perform an AWV? Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified clinical nurse specialists, and certain other medical professionals working under physician supervision.
*Note: No co-pay for AWV if done per AWV frequency and other rules. However, if the provider addresses additional medical issues or items during the AWV, those may be billed as evaluation and management and you may have a copay for those.
What Is the Annual Wellness Visit?
The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a Medicare Part B preventive benefit focused on developing or updating a personalized prevention plan for each patient, based on their current health, risk factors, and history. It is not a physical exam. Medicare has never covered routine annual physicals; the AWV was introduced in 2011 specifically to fill that preventive-care gap with something more structured and more proactive.
Patients are eligible for one AWV every 12 months once they've been enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than a year, and it's covered at no cost* to the patient when the provider accepts assignment.
What Actually Happens During an AWV?
An AWV centers on a Health Risk Assessment (HRA), a questionnaire covering demographics, health status, psychosocial and behavioral risk factors, and activities of daily living. From there, the visit typically includes:
- Review of medical and family history and current medications
- Basic measurements (height, weight, BMI, blood pressure)
- Cognitive impairment screening
- Depression screening
- A personalized prevention plan, including referrals and recommended screenings for the year ahead
Why the AWV Matters More in Value-Based Care Than Fee-for-Service
In a fee-for-service model, an AWV is just another billable visit. In a value-based arrangement, it's the single most efficient entry point for nearly everything else that drives performance:
- It's often the visit where overdue HEDIS screenings get identified and closed
- It's the annual touchpoint required to re-document chronic conditions for accurate HCC coding
- It surfaces social and behavioral risk factors that predict cost and utilization
- It's a natural point to enroll patients in chronic care management or other value-based programs
What This Means for Independent Practices
The AWV isn't an add-on to a value-based care strategy, it's often the foundation of one. A practice that reliably schedules and completes AWVs for its Medicare panel is, in the same motion, closing HEDIS gaps, refreshing risk adjustment data, and identifying patients who need more support, all in a single, fully covered visit.
FAQ
- Is the Annual Wellness Visit the same as an annual physical? No. Medicare does not cover routine physical exams. The AWV is a preventive planning visit, not a head-to-toe physical.
- How often can a patient receive an AWV? Once every 12 months, after being enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than a year.
- Who can perform an AWV? Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified clinical nurse specialists, and certain other medical professionals working under physician supervision.
*Note: No co-pay for AWV if done per AWV frequency and other rules. However, if the provider addresses additional medical issues or items during the AWV, those may be billed as evaluation and management and you may have a copay for those.
What Is the Annual Wellness Visit?
The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a Medicare Part B preventive benefit focused on developing or updating a personalized prevention plan for each patient, based on their current health, risk factors, and history. It is not a physical exam. Medicare has never covered routine annual physicals; the AWV was introduced in 2011 specifically to fill that preventive-care gap with something more structured and more proactive.
Patients are eligible for one AWV every 12 months once they've been enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than a year, and it's covered at no cost* to the patient when the provider accepts assignment.
What Actually Happens During an AWV?
An AWV centers on a Health Risk Assessment (HRA), a questionnaire covering demographics, health status, psychosocial and behavioral risk factors, and activities of daily living. From there, the visit typically includes:
- Review of medical and family history and current medications
- Basic measurements (height, weight, BMI, blood pressure)
- Cognitive impairment screening
- Depression screening
- A personalized prevention plan, including referrals and recommended screenings for the year ahead
Why the AWV Matters More in Value-Based Care Than Fee-for-Service
In a fee-for-service model, an AWV is just another billable visit. In a value-based arrangement, it's the single most efficient entry point for nearly everything else that drives performance:
- It's often the visit where overdue HEDIS screenings get identified and closed
- It's the annual touchpoint required to re-document chronic conditions for accurate HCC coding
- It surfaces social and behavioral risk factors that predict cost and utilization
- It's a natural point to enroll patients in chronic care management or other value-based programs
What This Means for Independent Practices
The AWV isn't an add-on to a value-based care strategy, it's often the foundation of one. A practice that reliably schedules and completes AWVs for its Medicare panel is, in the same motion, closing HEDIS gaps, refreshing risk adjustment data, and identifying patients who need more support, all in a single, fully covered visit.
FAQ
- Is the Annual Wellness Visit the same as an annual physical? No. Medicare does not cover routine physical exams. The AWV is a preventive planning visit, not a head-to-toe physical.
- How often can a patient receive an AWV? Once every 12 months, after being enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than a year.
- Who can perform an AWV? Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified clinical nurse specialists, and certain other medical professionals working under physician supervision.
*Note: No co-pay for AWV if done per AWV frequency and other rules. However, if the provider addresses additional medical issues or items during the AWV, those may be billed as evaluation and management and you may have a copay for those.