Welcome to Medicare Visit (IPPE)

Preventive Care

This is your “get oriented” prevention visit. It helps you set a baseline, review risks, and build a simple plan for the year ahead.

Bring a list of current meds and supplements.
Share family history (heart disease, diabetes, cancer, aneurysm).
Ask what screenings make sense based on your age and risk.
Pick one or two realistic lifestyle goals (movement, sleep, tobacco, alcohol).

A smiling doctor is in the lobby speaking with an older patient.

Medicare Coverage

Medicare Part B covers one “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit. This isn’t a routine physical exam.

Covered once within the first 12 months you have Part B.
You pay nothing if your provider accepts assignment (other services during the same visit may change costs).
Medicare Advantage plans cover preventive services, but network rules may apply.

Key takeaways

A prevention planning visit, not a head-to-toe physical.
Schedule it in your first year on Part B.
Ask for a written prevention checklist (screenings + vaccines).

Good to Know

Provider Accepts Assignment

In Original Medicare, “accepts assignment” means a provider agrees to Medicare’s approved amount as full payment (with you paying any required deductible/coinsurance). For many preventive services, using a provider who accepts assignment can help keep your costs lower and more predictable.

Frequency Limits

Many Medicare preventive services have frequency limits, meaning Medicare covers them only as often as allowed (for example, once every 12 months, once every five years, or once in your lifetime). The schedule varies by service.

Eligibility Rules

Many preventive services are covered only if you meet Medicare’s eligibility rules. These rules can include your age, risk factors, medical history, lab results, diagnoses, or timing (for example, being “at risk” for a screening).

Medicare Advantage can add approvals, networks, and referrals

Medicare Advantage plans must cover everything Original Medicare covers, but they often add network rules, prior authorization, and sometimes referral requirements. These rules can affect where you can go for tests, specialists, rehab, home health, and certain procedures.