What to Expect from Your Welcome to Medicare Visit
Key Points
- The Welcome to Medicare visit is a one-time benefit available in your first 12 months of Part B.
- It is a preventive visit, not a sick visit — it focuses on your baseline health, not treatment.
- It's covered at no cost when your doctor accepts Medicare assignment.
When you're new to Medicare, you're entitled to a one-time preventive visit with your doctor. Here's what it covers — and why you shouldn't skip it.
What Is the Welcome to Medicare Visit?
When you first enroll in Medicare Part B, you're eligible for a one-time "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit — sometimes called the Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE). This visit must take place within the first 12 months of your Part B coverage beginning.
Think of it as your Medicare baseline appointment. Your doctor will review your health history, check your current medications, take your vital signs, and discuss any risk factors or concerns that may need monitoring going forward.
What Does the Visit Include?
During this visit, your doctor will typically review your medical and family history, measure your height, weight, blood pressure, and body mass index, and assess your vision, hearing, and cognitive function. They may also screen for depression and discuss fall prevention strategies.
Your doctor will use this time to create or update a written plan for any follow-up care, screenings, or referrals you may need. It's also a great opportunity to ask questions about what Medicare covers and what to expect as a new beneficiary.
Is It the Same as an Annual Physical?
No — and this is an important distinction. The Welcome to Medicare visit is a preventive screening visit, not a comprehensive physical exam. If you ask your doctor to address a specific health concern during the same appointment, that portion of the visit may be billed separately and subject to your Part B deductible and 20% coinsurance.
After your first year on Medicare, the Welcome to Medicare visit is no longer available — but you become eligible for an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) each year, which is a separate benefit also covered at no cost.
Do I Need to Pay for It?
If your doctor accepts Medicare assignment, the Welcome to Medicare visit is covered at 100% — meaning no deductible and no coinsurance. However, if additional services are performed or you have a secondary issue addressed during the same visit, you may owe cost-sharing for those additional services.
We always recommend confirming with your doctor's office before the appointment how the visit will be billed, so there are no surprises on your explanation of benefits afterward.
Still Have Questions?
Our licensed Medicare brokers are here to help — at no cost to you.