• Webcast: Annual Wellness Visit

    Getting Paid for What We Do Best

    The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is an opportunity for a patient to partner with his or her physician to focus on preventive screening and wellness. An AWV allows for a conversation (which there is often not time for during a regular appointment) and development of a personalized care plan. A majority of this service can be provided by the clinical care team.

    The cost of AWVs are fully covered by Medicare and provide a revenue stream for the practice that can support and sustain  an increase in clinical staffing who can perform care management and care coordination services.

    About the Webcast

    Dr. Daniel Bluestein discusses how to provide or expand these services in your practice, as well as answers questions from the original recording about AWVs. Viewing this webcast allows physicians to invest in patient-centered, team-based care while promoting quality and cost-effective care. By improving quality and reducing costs, practices build a foundation for success under value-based payment and MACRA.

    After watching this webcast, you should be able to:

    • Review CMS Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) requirements and summarize visit elements.
    • Identify how AWV findings can close care gaps and engage patients.
    • Examine financial and quality implications of incorporating the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit as a means of practice improvement.
    • Recognize the importance of AWV in relation to value-based payment.
    • Link AWV with other care management services such as Transitional Care ManagementChronic Care Management Services, and Advance Care Planning.

    Estimated time required to complete the full webcast: 60 minutes

    Original release date of webcast: April 4, 2017

    Daniel Bluestein, MD, MS

    Dr. Bluestein received his MD from the University of Massachusetts in 1975 and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Maryland in 1978. His training also includes a Robert Wood Johnson faculty development fellowship in academic family medicine at the University of Iowa (1979-1981), earning a Master of Science in preventive medicine in the course of this experience. He is board-certified in family medicine and holds the Certificate of Added Qualification in geriatrics.

    Dr. Bluestein has been a faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, from 1981 to present. He currently is the Charles F. Burroughs, Jr. Professor of Family and Community Medicine and serves as director of the department's geriatrics division. Dr. Bluestein is the principal investigator as part of a statewide Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program grant and was a 2016 Harford Foundation/Atlantic Philanthropies Practice Change Leader awardee. He works with an interprofessional team towards developing new approaches to integrating geriatrics in primary care.

    Disclaimer

    The material presented here is being made available by the American Academy of Family Physicians for educational purposes only. Please note that medical information is constantly changing; the information contained in this activity was accurate at the time of publication. This material is not intended to represent the only, nor necessarily best, methods or procedures appropriate for the medical situations discussed. Rather, it is intended to present an approach, view, statement, or opinion of the faculty, which may be helpful to others who face similar situations.

    The AAFP disclaims any and all liability for injury or other damages resulting to any individual using this material and for all claims that might arise out of the use of the techniques demonstrated therein by such individuals, whether these claims shall be asserted by a physician or any other person. Physicians may care to check specific details such as drug doses and contraindications, etc., in standard sources prior to clinical application. This material might contain recommendations/guidelines developed by other organizations. Please note that although these guidelines might be included, this does not necessarily imply the endorsement by the AAFP.

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