Issues Covered In Your Preventative Care Langhorne PA Visit

By Helen Wright


There is confusion between preventive visits and wellness visits. The two terms are commonly used interchangeably but they mean two different elements. Clinics offering preventative care Langhorne PA are tasked with conducting the Initial Preventive Physical Examination or IPPE. This is also regarded as the Welcome to Medicare Visit. This is a one-off visit that is carried out within the first year of enrolling for Medicare Part B.

The initial visit is aimed at assessing your levels of safety and functional abilities. The physician takes you through the end-of-life plan and will recommend adjustments where necessary. Based on the results obtained, you will be counseled, educated or referred to a specialist. You are required to provide adequate and truthful information about your health during this visit.

Body metrics of height, body mass index and weight will also be measured. The physician takes your blood pressure and other factors that he or she thinks are important in determining your health status. Your family and medical history will be reviewed. You should have an idea of conditions that have affected your children, parents, and people in your bloodline. This review enables the doctor to determine your vulnerability or level of risk.

Physicians also examine the mental health position of a patient. This includes depression history and the risk factors that would herald depression. Such examination will establish whether you are a potential candidate for depression or not. The evaluation allows mitigation steps to be taken. Your social history will also be examined alongside visual acuity screening. A combination of age, gender, history of your family and potential risk factors will inform the doctor on the tests to order for you.

The initial visit is usually free of charge at a clinic that is under Medicare Part B scheme. Initial screening and physical examination will be free as long as it is gender specific. Prescribed medication will be paid for under the scheme. This screening is intended to handle prevailing conditions and not new diagnosis or conditions that are being discussed afresh.

The visit will also cover immunization. The immunization covered includes Measles, Mumps and Rubella or MMR, flu and both Hepatitis A and B. Any treatment or further procedures recommended are aimed at preventing the condition or disease. Travel immunization is not covered. This includes Malaria, typhoid and rabies, among others.

Age, gender and general health will inform the doctor on the appropriate tests and screening procedures to take. Women over 40 years are covered for their mammography screening. Adults over 50 years are also covered for their colorectal cancer screening. All adults are covered for blood pressure screening and cholesterol screening for those at risky ages. Additional tests and procedures resulting from such screening will not be covered.

The fact that you to the preventive visit does not mean that you will not require the wellness visit. This annual visit helps you to keep track or your health condition and ensure that it does not deteriorate. A risky health situation will also be identified early and corrective measures taken. Good long term health requires regular monitoring and reviews.




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