Enrolling in an Aetna® Medicare Advantage plan is a significant step towards managing your healthcare. To fully leverage your new plan, understanding the available care and services is key, especially when it comes to preventative care and finding the right doctor. Knowing how to navigate your benefits, including utilizing resources for a Medicare Doctor Search, will ensure you receive the best possible healthcare experience.
Your “Welcome to Medicare” Visit: A Great First Step
Within the initial 12 months of enrolling in Medicare Part B, you’re entitled to a one-time “Welcome to Medicare” visit, offered at no extra cost to you. This introductory appointment is invaluable for establishing a baseline of your health and proactively identifying potential health concerns. During this visit, your healthcare provider will thoroughly review your medical and social history, conduct a brief physical checkup, and meticulously examine your current medications. Crucially, this visit ensures you are up-to-date with essential screenings, vaccinations, and other vital preventive services designed to keep you healthy.
Benefit from an Annual Healthy Home Visit
Another valuable program available to you at no cost is the Annual Healthy Home Visit (HHV). This unique benefit brings healthcare directly to your doorstep, with a licensed Nurse Practitioner or board-certified physician conducting a visit in the comfort of your own home. These visits offer a comprehensive health review, including in-depth discussions about your health status, a non-invasive physical examination, and a thorough medication review. Furthermore, these visits facilitate discussions about valuable health resources that can support your well-being. For added convenience, virtual visit options are also available. It’s important to understand that the HHV program is designed to complement, not replace, your relationship with your primary care physician. Instead, it enhances the collaborative approach to your healthcare management, working in conjunction with your primary doctor. It also serves as a pathway to connect you with the specific health programs and services best suited to your individual needs, potentially streamlining your medicare doctor search for specialists if required in the future.
Annual Wellness Visits: Maintaining Your Health Long-Term
In the years following your “Welcome to Medicare” visit, you become eligible for Annual Wellness Visits. These yearly check-ups are also provided without charge once you have been enrolled in Medicare Part B for more than 12 months and haven’t had either a “Welcome to Medicare” or an Annual Wellness visit in the preceding 12 months. These wellness visits share some preventive screening components with the “Welcome to Medicare” visit but also expand to include cognitive impairment assessments. Furthermore, they provide valuable education about additional preventive services available to you and facilitate the development of a personalized prevention plan tailored to your specific health needs.
Why Prioritize Wellness Visits?
Actively participating in these wellness visits is a proactive approach to healthcare. They provide a significant opportunity to detect emerging health issues early, when intervention is often most effective. If necessary, these visits offer you and your doctor the chance to collaboratively develop and implement long-term treatment plans, ensuring your ongoing health and well-being. Moreover, these visits can be a starting point in strengthening your relationship with your healthcare provider or identifying if you need to refine your medicare doctor search to find a specialist or different primary care physician who better meets your evolving needs.
If you have further questions regarding your Medicare benefits or need assistance with a medicare doctor search within the Aetna network, please don’t hesitate to call the member services number on your insurance card or visit AetnaMedicare.com for more detailed information and resources.
