By Dr. Sowmya Kurtakoti

We want to help you stay well by providing health care that may lower your risk of illness or injury.

Your Medicare benefit provides for an Annual Wellness Visit to ensure you, and we, are doing everything possible to promote your health and vitality. This visit is completely covered by Medicare with no out-of-pocket expense. This is not a head-to-toe physical, and there is no “hands-on” examination.

There are certain measurements that will be taken including vital signs and other measurements depending on your age and activity level.

During the visit, your provider will:

  •  Give you a health risk-assessment, including reviewing the information that you provide to us.
  • Review your medical and family history, and update your medication list and names of your other providers.
  • Screen for your risk of falls, functional and cognitive impairments, and mood disorders.
  • Provide personalized health advice and recommendations for other wellness services and healthy life style changes.
  • Provide a written 5-10-year screening schedule for appropriate preventive services. Before your appointment, you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire about your health, which we will review during the visit.

Please bring the following information with you to your appointment:

  • A list of all of your health care providers
  • Your Advance Directives
  • All of your pill bottles, including over-the-counter, vitamins, supplements and herbal medications. Your Medicare Annual Wellness Visit

You can benefit from this covered Wellness Visit once a year, so if you have not had one in the past year, please call your primary care physician or 877.707.4442 to make an appointment today.

Dr. Sowmya Kurtakoti is director of  Duncaster Retirement Community Medical Services at Hartford Hospital Senior Primary Care at Duncaster in Bloomfield.