Here we go again. When I signed up for BC/BS I specifically opted out of the wellness visit program.

Just got my first call trying to sign me up. I told the caller “no thanks” politely. When asked for a reason I said I feel it’s a invasion of my privacy and if they had any questions regarding my health that information is available from my doctors.

So the next thing, they offer a seventy five dollar gift card for participation. I still declined.

They have to be making a s*** ton of money on these between paying the person doing the assessment, the billers, the company’s overhead and profit and giving the patient a kickback on top of this.

The questions asked of me, here is one:

Them: Do you have any guns?

Me: Yes, I have 2 caulking guns, a glue gun, several tape guns, and I used to have a Paint Gun that hooks up to the air compressor hose but I got rid of it.

Them: OH never mind.

Oh, wait, I have a cannon. A Pepper Cannon. Grinds up pepper corns super fast, you should get a Pepper Cannon too. Here's a Pepper Cannon Link

Them: Mumble mumble grumble grumple walks away.
.

.

And it's not just with Medicare... I'm decades away from being Medicare eligible, but I've had regular BCBS medical insurance since February, and I've been getting multiple calls from their subcontractor (Signify) trying to get me to agree to an "in-home wellness assessment".

Hell. No.

I'll get that from my own PCP in their office at my annual wellness check, just like I've done every year for the past 20+ years, thankyouverymuch.

I fail to see how a one visit and done examiner that these contract companies use is qualified to advise my board certified Cardiologist who also serves as my PCP (and has since 1998) how he should treat me.

I see my Cardiologist two to three times a year, get bloodwork performed twice a year. He has referred me in the past to a Urologist, a Pulmonologist and an Orthopedic doctor as the need arises.

Massive waste of time, energy and money as far as I’m concerned.

Ask them if you can do the "in-home" at their place. Tell them if they have pizza rolls, you'll pick up some beer on your way over.

quote:

Originally posted by mesabi:
Ask them if you can do the "in-home" at their place. Tell them if they have pizza rolls, you'll pick up some beer on your way over.

Oh, that’s part of the game plan. A different insurer for my Advantage plan stated that one purpose of the wellness visit was to assess your residence for hazards and to make suggestions how to make things easier and safer.

They are all in home visits.

And dangling a seventy five dollar gift card in front of me, BFD. That was the zinger that was supposed to convince me that I should jump on that. What an insult. In other words I can be bought off.

Or in other words “Not for free I won’t but twenty bucks is twenty bucks”……

I have a wellness session with my doctor every year. Mostly paid for by Medicare and/or my United Healthcare health insurance. Seems reasonable to me. I don’t know what BC/BS is.

Blue Cross/Blue Shield?

^^^^^
A good guess, I think.

I get these calls regularly for my sister, as I am her guardian. She's on Medicaid and Social Security disability due to lifelong multiple disabilities. She's been in some form of assisted living for 25 years.

Every time they call I tell them no, she is in a facility with full time care, and she has a doc who comes to her regularly.

There is always at least one followup call and multiple mailings. Then the cycle repeats after a few months.

This so called service is from Medicare. In most cases the hospital gets paid for these rather worthless visits. You can decline to answer any questions.

I set mine up to be a phone call. Don't plan on answering my phone that day, though. I wonder how many times they'll try before giving up.

I'll let them know if I need anything.

I don't even like them insisting I answer whether I'm retired or still working, when I go to the office. How does that affect them one way or the other, in providing medical care? I tell them, "Put in whatever you like, doesn't matter to me."

Experienced my first last month. Medicare requires it I'm told. Doctor had his nurse ask the stupid questions as he later admitted to me it was a stupid waste of time that he wanted no part of. But damned if I'm not scheduled for another bullshit session in one year.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:

Medicare requires it I'm told.

How is this "requirement" enforced?

What is the penalty for non-compliance?

I have received email messages from my primary care doc's office for a few years, urging me to make an appointment for an annual Medicare Wellness visit. I continue to ignore them and to date, I have not been disciplined.

The wellness check drives my wife crazy. She tried to refuse it and the local clinic said if she doesn't get it, they will drop her as a patient. Not sure how that would go but I bet it'd be a bureaucratic beeyotch to fight.

Curiously, since I switched to the VA as my PCP, I haven't had a wellness check nor have I been contacted by Medicare. I DO get a checkup complete with labs and bloodwork every 6 months, perhaps they're logging one of them as a wellness check.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Experienced my first last month. Medicare requires it I'm told. Doctor had his nurse ask the stupid questions as he later admitted to me it was a stupid waste of time that he wanted no part of. But damned if I'm not scheduled for another bullshit session in one year.

From the National Council On Aging:
Does Medicare require a Wellness Visit every year?

Medicare does not require that you have a Medicare Wellness Visit every year. But it’s important to take advantage of all the Medicare benefits available to you. This free yearly visit is an extra tool in your health care toolbox. It can help you prevent disability, illness, and chronic disease, so you can stay well and live your best life possible. You may want to set a reminder for yourself every year to schedule your Annual Wellness Visit.

From what I understand, the annual wellness visit, (AWV) isn’t really anything other than they ask you questions, kind of check vision, but they don’t actually touch you in any way, like a physical visit. They fill out a bunch of paperwork, with your answers. Stupid if you ask me. Medicare doesn’t cover physicals, they consider them routine, and always patient responsible. (Not sure about the advantage plans.) Only the AWV is paid once a year. And make sure it’s 12 months from the last one by the way. Not one day too soon. But the dr offices have a quota to fill, so they try and schedule one for you all the time, once you’re eligible. They have to meet Medicare requirements on those for doing those. I’m going to try to stay away from those AWV’s.

Again from the NCOA website:

During your visit, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire called a Health Risk Assessment. Your responses will help your provider gain a better understanding of your current health and your risk factors. The appointment may also include:

Recording of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and other routine measurements
Review of your medical and family history
Review of your current health care providers and any prescriptions, vitamins, and/or supplements you’re taking
Creation of a health screening schedule for the next 5-10 years based on your age, family history, and unique risk factors
Review of functional ability (your ability to perform everyday tasks on your own) and safety (first visit only)
Creation of a list of risk factors/conditions along with recommendations/treatment options
Discussion of advance care planning (care you would receive if you could not speak for yourself)
Personalized health advice and referrals for issues such as weight management, falls prevention, diet and nutrition, and smoking cessation

I’m not trusting these third party “calling for (insert your insurer here) companies whatsoever.

Aetna was getting really pushy a couple of years back with me. I would tell them “not interested and please do not call again” only to receive three more calls in the next three days.

First two calls politely, third one while knowing these were voluntary I said “Is this required as part of my insurance?” The response “This is a no cost benefit to the policyholder”. My response was “Then don’t call me again, I don’t want one and won’t agree to one.”

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:

I said “Is this required as part of my insurance?” The response “This is a no cost benefit to the policyholder”

That kind of bullshit prompts me to say "PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION! A one-word reply is all that is needed. Is this REQUIRED as part of my insurance? YES or NO?"

I just cancelled my June 2025 Wellness Check appointment. We'll see what response I get.