Do you know Medicare will help pay for cognitive assessments during routine physician visits?

The most recent Alzheimer’s Association report has a special section on Medicare benefit provisions for assessments for cognitive decline during regular visits to primary care physicians.

Here’s a link to the Alzheimer’s Association 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, take a look.

One of the interesting facts to report is only a small percentage of Medicare participants are aware of this benefit:  Any Medicare beneficiary who has received Medicare Part B benefits for at least 12 months and has not had an Initial Preventive Physical Exam or Annual Wellness Visit within the last 12 months is eligible for the Annual Wellness Visit.

This Wellness Visit is the opportunity for early identification of cognitive decline. This benefit began in 2011 as part of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Physicians are seeking assessment tools and have a spiked interest in including cognitive assessments in routine check-ups.

Now that you have this information share with it with those that are attending their routine check-ups or any physician visit!