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Medicare Annual Wellness Visits Q&A
What is a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit?
The American College of Physicians provides a handy fact sheet with useful information on Medicare annual visits, including how it is different from ‘Welcome to Medicare’ visit, what to expect at your wellness checkup, costs involved, why you should schedule a visit, and questions to ask your primary care provider. You may even want to print this sheet before your annual visit!
Why is an Annual Wellness Visit Required?
In terms of health care, it is easier to encourage healthy habits, stop bad habits, and to provide preventative care than to treat a serious and advanced medical condition. Medicare encourages its members to review their health annually, and to take care of any potential medical concerns before they develop into something more serious.
What Happens During a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit?
A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is not a traditional physical. It is a visit aiming to identify any health risks and methods to reduce those risks. Before the patient sees the doctor, he or she will complete a health questionnaire. During this visit, the doctor and his staff will take a complete health history, screen for depression, risk of falling, and other issues. The patient’s weight, vision and blood pressure will be measured. The doctor may make suggestions on how to live a healthier life.
What should be covered during the Annual Wellness Visit?
A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is not a traditional physical. It is a visit aiming to identify any health risks and methods to reduce those risks. Before the patient sees the doctor, he or she will complete a health questionnaire. During this visit, the doctor and his staff will take a complete health history, screen for depression, risk of falling, and other issues. The patient’s weight, vision and blood pressure will be measured. The doctor may make suggestions on how to live a healthier life.
- Review of medical and family history
- Compiling a list of current providers, suppliers and medications
- Routine measurements
- Personal risk assessment
- Review of functional ability
- Depression screening
- Detection of cognitive ability
- Establishing a schedule for screening and preventative services
- Advice and referral services that may be of benefit
- Voluntary advance care planning
FIRST TIME VISIT?
WHY CHOOSE LOS GATOS DOC
Primary Care with a Personal Touch
Compassion
At Los Gatos Doc, our team takes pride in treating our patients as we would our own family. We are committed to helping you achieve your best health and caring for you every step of the way.
Our patient care team follows up and follows through. We know our patients lead busy lives and we make every effort to offer health reminders, provide consistent guidance, and reliably communicate with you.
Consistency
Our patient care team follows up and follows through. We know our patients lead busy lives and we make every effort to offer health reminders, provide consistent guidance, and reliably communicate with you.
Coordinated Care
As a primary care physician, Dr. V takes the time to support you in establishing and coordinating your team of healthcare providers. Los Gatos Doc’s approach helps patients better understand their current health needs and develop a plan to reach their wellness goals.
MOST COMMON
CONDITIONS WE TREAT
Chronic Care
Adult Physicals
Medicare Wellness
OLDEST
PATIENT
99
Years
YOUNGEST
PATIENT
18
Years
AVG. LENGTH OUR
PATIENTS STAY WITH US:
7
Years
DEDICATED HEALTH TEAM
Our team is committed to treating you as we would our own family. We take pride in welcoming and caring for each person who joins the Los Gatos Doc family.
COLLABORATIVE & COORDINATED CARE
Dr. V and his staff take the time to connect you to a responsive and vetted network of specialists, services, and resources. Los Gatos Doc helps you get the care you need.
CULTURALLY SENSITIVE APPROACH
Los Gatos Doc cares about who you are. Our team has vast experience helping people of different faiths, nationalities, and backgrounds.
With decades of experience in primary care, Dr. V finds his training in an urban public hospital, and care for individuals living on an Indian Health reservation instructive in how he approaches primary care services for families in the Bay Area.
PERSONALIZED CARE
At Los Gatos Doc we do our homework. If you see us regularly, we know who you are when you call our office.
LET'S TALK
We’re here to listen to your needs.
A primary care physician focuses on each patient’s overall health and well-being. Primary care doctors are either trained in internal or family medicine. Dr. V offers same day visits for injuries or illness and coordinates care with other physicians as needed. Click here to learn more about the critical role that primary care physicians play in helping you achieve your best health.
Dr. V and his team take pride in offering compassionate, consistent and coordinated care for their patients. Book your first appointment and see why our office is a great fit for you!
Los Gatos Doc is conveniently located near CA State Routes 85 and 17 in Los Gatos, CA. Click here to get directions to our office. Our office is at the intersection of Carlton Avenue and National Avenue.
The office is open from 9am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5pm on Monday through Friday except for holidays.
Yes, the building in which our office is located has its own parking garage. There is also an elevator for your convenience.
Los Gatos Doc generally accepts a range of health insurances including Aetna, Anthem BlueCross, Blue Shield of California, Cigna, HealthNet, Humana, Medicare, Multiplan, PHCS, and Tricare. To verify that our office accepts your health insurance specific plan, please reach out to the Los Gatos Doc team at (408) 502-6040 (clickable).
Afterhours (evenings / weekends) and holidays, we advise our patients to do the following to seek care. For medical emergencies, go to the nearest Emergency Department. For all non-emergent issues to contact our office @ 408.502.6040 and leave a message or through our secure Patient Passport system and we will return your call / message within the next business day. For any concerns that you feel requires medical attention the same day, please visit a local urgent care or seek care at El Camino Hospital in Los Gatos or at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Gatos
The best ways to contact your primary care team at Los Gatos Doc are to call us by phone at (408) 502-6040 or message us via a secure messaging system. Our team values patient privacy and we adhere to healthcare laws which do not allow us to discuss your personal health information in a public manner.
For our established patients, yes we will accommodate same day visits if available.
Yes, we are currently offering both in person and virtual appointments. Please contact our office with any additional questions.
Los Gatos Doc’s staff is fully vaccinated. We have a screening protocol in place for the safety of our staff and patients. Patients displaying any COVID-19 symptoms are asked to schedule telehealth / video visits. All patients are required to wear masks at all times in the clinic.
Consistent with guidelines, our patients have the freedom to choose where they choose to complete their testing and which specialists they would like to see. For patients who request referrals, we offer a reliable network of specialists, services, and resources.
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Primary Care & Family Practice Serving Los Gatos, Campbell & Saratoga CA
OFFICE HOURS
- Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Tuesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Wednesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Saturday Closed
- Sunday Closed
Closed for Lunch: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm daily
LOCATION
Los Gatos Doc: Arun Villivalam, MD
15195 National Avenue, Suite 205
Los Gatos, CA 95032
Phone: 408-502-6040
Fax: 408-502-6041