Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) are an essential aspect of maintaining the health of your patients. As a Medicare Fee-for-Service provider, it’s important to see your patients each year for an AWV to prevent diseases and monitor their health status.
During an AWV, patients can communicate their concerns, get tested, and stay on top of their health. They’re also crucial for early detection: By identifying and treating diseases, such as cancer, early, AWVs can improve health outcomes significantly.
Unfortunately, while providers are reimbursed for AWVs by Medicare at an attractive rate, the AWV is still often misunderstood and underutilized.
Here are four ways you can start increasing the AWV of your practice:
Tell your patients that these visits are free. Your patients might not know that AWVs are free – it’s completely covered by Medicare and not subject to any deductible. Use every chance to promote these visits: make signs, mention it during other types of patient visits, etc.
Explain the benefits. Not only are the visits free, but they’re also a prime opportunity for patients to get a better look at their current health. And like we mentioned early, they can catch health issues before they become a bigger problem.
Make things easy for your staff. If your practice sees a lot of Medicare patients, determining who’s eligible for an AWV can be daunting; it’s a lot to keep track of. Set your staff up for success with regular training and encourage them to be proactive about scheduling patient visits – before they become way overdue.
Ask for help. Consider partnering with an accountable care organization (ACO) like American Choice Healthcare that can help you determine which patients are up for their AWV. We offer a suite of world-class clinical services, data analytics and operational support resources. The best part: Our services are offered at no cost or risk to you.
Call to learn more today. Or request your: Revenue Projection.
