Best Primary Care Doctor in Stone Oak, Live Oak, San Antonio Texas
Annual Wellness Visits
Services Offered In Live Oak, Stone Oak And Southside, San Antonio, Schertz And New Braunfels, Tx
What Are Annual Wellness Visits?
An annual wellness visit is a comprehensive health assessment similar to a physical exam. While Medicare does not provide coverage for physicals, the agency does reimburse for wellness exams. These yearly visits offer patients valuable insight into their health.
Wellness visits can help detect early signs of chronic diseases, like peripheral vascular disease and diabetes, as well as cognitive impairments. Your physician at Hillside Primary Care may order additional testing and make changes to your care plan based on the results of your annual exam.
What Do Annual Wellness Visits Include?
An annual wellness visit includes a thorough health evaluation that begins with measuring your height and checking your weight. The team also records your vitals (blood pressure, temperature, and respiration rate).
Once you enter the exam room, the team reviews your medical history and asks detailed questions about your diet and lifestyle to update your records. They may ask about:
- Medications you’re taking
- What you typically eat in a day
- How often you exercise
- New or worsening symptoms
- Your stress levels
- Past injuries, allergies, and illnesses
The information the team gathers is often just as important as a physical exam. Before you leave, they may order additional testing, such as imaging scans, cardiac evaluations, or blood work.
Are Annual Wellness Visits The Same As Physical Exams?
No, an annual wellness visit is not the same as a physical exam. Wellness visits are less involved than physicals, and more focused on supporting your long-term health goals, while a physical exam helps identify health concerns in their early stages.
Annual physicals don’t include a head-to-toe assessment. During a physical, the team looks inside your eyes, ears, nose, and throat. They also listen to your heart and lungs and palpate your abdomen to check for the appropriate organ size and placement. Finally, they test your reflexes.
In general, patients should seek annual wellness visits and physicals when their physician recommends each screening. Some patients need yearly physicals to track and monitor health concerns, while others may benefit from screenings every 2-3 years. The team works with you to develop an individualized care plan.
Call Hillside Primary Care today or schedule an appointment online to learn more about annual wellness visits.