Improved Medicare Wellness Visits: Expanded Services and Access for Seniors
This act enhances annual wellness visits for Medicare seniors by adding new screenings and services, such as food and housing security assessments. It also increases the accessibility of these visits by allowing them via telehealth and expanding the list of eligible providers. The goal is to better support the health and quality of life of older adults.
Key points
Expanded scope of annual Medicare wellness visits to include screenings for balance (fall risk), food and housing security, transportation access, and social support.
Introduction of incentive payments for healthcare providers offering comprehensive wellness visits, encouraging a broader range of services.
Enabling annual wellness visits to be conducted via telehealth, increasing accessibility for seniors, especially in rural areas.
Expansion of eligible providers for wellness visits to include physical therapists, occupational therapists, and pharmacists.
Implementation of an outreach campaign to educate seniors about changes to Medicare wellness visits, with a focus on low-income beneficiaries and those in rural areas.
Introduced
Citizen Poll