Does Medicare cover an annual physical?

Does Medicare cover a routine physical exam?

No. Medicare.gov lists routine physical exams among the items and services Original Medicare doesn't cover. If you need items or services Part A or Part B don't cover, you'll have to pay for them yourself unless you have other health coverage, or you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare Cost Plan or Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) plan that covers them. See what Original Medicare doesn't cover.

What Part B covers instead are two preventive visits: the one-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit and the yearly “Wellness” visit. Medicare.gov says the yearly “Wellness” visit isn't a routine physical exam and the “Welcome to Medicare” visit isn't a comprehensive physical exam.

What happens at the yearly Wellness visit?

The yearly “Wellness” visit is a conversation-based visit with your doctor or other health care provider to create a prevention plan based on your current health and risk factors. Your provider will ask you to fill out a questionnaire called a Health Risk Assessment, and during the visit your provider will:

• Take routine measurements, like height, weight and blood pressure.
• Review your medical and family history and your current prescriptions.
• Give you health advice.
• Offer to talk with you about creating advance directives, the legal documents that record your wishes about future medical treatment in case you're ever unable to make decisions about your care.
• Give you a written plan, like a checklist, of the screenings, vaccines and other preventive services you need.
• Perform a cognitive assessment to look for signs of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
• Evaluate your potential risk factors for substance use disorder and refer you for treatment, if needed.
• Order other tests, if necessary, depending on your general health and medical history.

What is the “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit?

The “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit is a one-time check-up that Medicare Part B covers within the first 12 months you have Part B, to review your medical history and get up to date on important screenings and vaccines. During this visit, your provider will review your medical and social history, give you information about preventive services (including screenings and vaccines like flu and pneumococcal shots), calculate your body mass index (BMI), give you a simple vision test, review your potential risk for depression and for substance use disorder, offer to talk with you about advance directives, and give you a written plan of the preventive services you need.

When you make the appointment, tell the office you'd like your “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit. Medicare.gov suggests you bring:

• Medical records, including immunization records.
• Your family health history.
• A list of the prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and supplements you take, how often you take them, and why.

When can I get each visit?

You can get the “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit once, within the first 12 months you have Part B. Your first yearly “Wellness” visit can't take place within 12 months of your Part B enrollment or your “Welcome to Medicare” visit, and you don't need to have had a “Welcome to Medicare” visit to qualify for it. After that, Part B covers the yearly “Wellness” visit once every 12 months.

What do I pay for a Medicare preventive visit?

You pay nothing for a “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit or a yearly “Wellness” visit if your provider accepts assignment, and the Part B deductible doesn't apply. Assignment means your provider agrees to accept the amount Medicare approves for the service and not to bill you for more than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance.

If your provider performs additional tests or services during the same visit that Medicare doesn't cover under the preventive benefit, you may have to pay coinsurance, and the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) may apply. If Medicare doesn't cover the additional tests or services, like a routine physical exam, you may have to pay the full amount, so ask your provider what a test or service will cost before you get it.

Does Medicare Advantage cover an annual physical?

Medicare Advantage plans must give you at least the same coverage as Original Medicare, but a plan may have different rules, and Medicare Advantage plans may cover some extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn't. What each plan covers beyond Original Medicare, and what it costs, varies by plan, so ask the plan before you schedule a visit. See how Medicare Advantage differs from Original Medicare.