Understanding the difference between a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit and a traditional physical exam can help you make smart decisions about your health care and avoid unexpected medical bills. Although both types of appointments are important in maintaining your health, they serve different purposes—and Medicare treats them differently.

A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a preventive benefit covered by Medicare Part B that focuses on assessing your overall health and planning for future wellness. During this visit, you and your provider review your medical and family history, update routine measurements like height, weight, and blood pressure, and complete a health risk assessment that looks at lifestyle factors and potential risk areas. Based on this information, your provider helps you create or update a personalized prevention plan, including advice on screenings, vaccines, and healthy lifestyle steps such as diet and exercise.

Medicare covers the Annual Wellness Visit at no cost as long as you see a provider who accepts Medicare and you schedule the visit at least 12 months after your last one. It’s designed to help prevent disease and catch potential issues early.

In contrast, a routine physical exam—what many think of as an annual check-up with hands-on tests and lab work—is not covered by Original Medicare. These exams are more comprehensive and are intended to diagnose or treat health problems, not just prevent them. If you want a traditional physical, you may have to pay out of pocket unless you have a Medicare Advantage plan that offers this benefit.

Knowing the difference helps you plan your care: schedule your Annual Wellness Visit to maximize your preventive care coverage and talk with your provider separately about any physical exam services you want.