Taking Care of Your Health: Why Yearly Check-ups Matter
Even if you feel okay, it is still important to see your primary care doctor for a check-up every year.
Note: This resource uses the word doctor, but you might see a different kind of health care professional, like a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. The information in this guide still applies to them, too.
What is a Yearly Check-up?
A yearly check-up with your doctor is an appointment focused on preventive care. This means staying healthy and catching any health conditions early before they become more serious. You do not need to feel sick to go.
During your visit, your doctor may:
- Ask about your health, lifestyle, and medications.
- Check your weight, blood pressure, or other basic health information.
- Talk to you about tests, called ‘screenings,’ that you may need to catch health conditions early.
Why Preventive Care Matters
Preventive care means finding health issues early when they are easier to treat. It also means getting support to help you feel at your best.
At your yearly check-up, your doctor may recommend certain screening tests. Screenings look for conditions before you feel sick or have symptoms. You might feel fine but still have something going on in your body that needs attention.
Sometimes you need a screening because of your age, sex assigned at birth, family history, or factors that increase your risk of getting sick.
Do you want to check if you are due for a screening? Take a look at the screening timelines in our resource library:
- Screening Timeline for Women.
- Screening Timeline for Men.
- Screening Timeline for Pregnant People.
You can ask your doctor if you need any health screenings at your yearly check-up.
Patient story:
Andre, who has cerebral palsy, went to the doctor because they had a bad cold that wouldn't go away. While they were there, the doctor checked their blood pressure and found it was higher than what is considered healthy. Andre was surprised because they had never noticed high blood pressure symptoms before. Now, they are working with their care team to manage their high blood pressure and schedule regular check ups.
Why Preventive Care Matters
Sometimes people with disabilities do not receive the same preventive care as people without disabilities. This means that some health conditions may go unnoticed or untreated for too long. Preventive care is as important for disabled people.
Types of Annual Check-ups
There are two main types of annual check-ups. Your insurance might cover one of the following types:
Annual Wellness Visit
This visit is only for planning your preventive care, like talking about recommended screenings and ordering any screenings you are due for. They will check your weight, height, and blood pressure and help you make a plan to stay healthy. Your doctor will NOT do a hands-on physical exam during this visit and will not prescribe medications.
Annual Physical Exam
This visit includes a full physical exam where your doctor examines your body. They will listen to your heart and lungs, feel for lumps or problems, examine your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, check reflexes, and may order blood tests. You can also use this time to talk about any needed preventive screenings.
Well-woman Exam
This physical exam for women involves your doctor or obstetrician gynecologist (OB/GYN) examining your body. Your doctor may do a breast and/or pelvic exam, HPV testing, talk to you about birth control, pregnancy planning, and menopause, and help you plan for any preventive screenings you need.
Insurance Coverage for Preventive Health Services
Most health insurance plans cover one annual check-up with your doctor and many preventive screenings.
Have Medicare? Medicare Part B covers a Welcome to Medicare Visit within the first 12 months and an Annual Wellness Visit after your first year on Medicare. It also covers many preventive screenings with no copay or deductible.
When you call your doctor’s office to schedule the appointment, you can say:
“I would like to schedule my Annual Wellness Visit. Please code this as my Medicare Wellness Visit, and not a regular office visit, so it is covered under my Medicare benefits.”
Important: If you want a hands-on physical exam, blood tests, or treatment for an issue, you may need to pay extra costs that Medicare does not cover.
If you do want a hands-on physical exam or blood tests and want to see if they are covered under your Medicare plan, call the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 877-839-2675 for free counseling to better understand your plan’s specific coverage.
Have Medicare? Medicaid covers annual physical exams, well-woman exams in most states, and many preventive screenings.
To check if your state’s Medicaid program covers annual physical exams or annual wellness visits, call your state Medicaid member services. You can find their contact information by searching: [Your state] Medicaid member services phone number.
When you call your doctor’s office to schedule the appointment, you can say:
“I want to schedule my annual physical.”
Have private insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace or an employer? Private insurance plans cover annual physical exams, well-woman exams, and many preventive screenings when you see an in-network doctor.
To check if your doctor is in-network, call your insurance company at the phone number on the back of your insurance card and say:
“I want to check that my doctor is in-network.”
When you call your doctor’s office to schedule the appointment, you can say:
“I want to schedule my annual physical.”
How to Get Ready for Your Appointment
Here are some ideas to help prepare you for your appointment:
- Bring a list of your medications.
- Let the clinic know if you need accommodations, like extra time, a quiet space, or help filling out forms.
When you call to schedule your appointment, When you call to schedule your appointment,
Patient story:
Janelle is autistic and informed the clinic that she needs a low-sensory environment. The staff reserved a room in a quieter area of the clinic with dimmable lights. Janelle felt more comfortable during her visit.
Quick Annual Reminder Checklist
- ☐ I scheduled my yearly check-up.
- ☐ I know where I am going and when.
- ☐ I have a transportation plan at least two days before my appointment.
- ☐ I told the clinic about my accommodations.
- ☐ I made a list of my medications.