Conducting the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit via Telehealth: Guide for Office, Nursing, and Provider Staff (Healthy Blue + Medicare (HMO D-SNP))

Please note, this communication applies to Healthy Blue + Medicare℠ (HMO D-SNP) offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC).

The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a conversation-based visit that can be conducted via telehealth. It’s vital that every eligible member receives this visit to have a personalized prevention plan in place.

Telehealth AWVs May Be A Great Option For Your Patients Who:

• Have mobility issues that may prevent them from coming into the office.
• Are reliant on caregivers to take them to appointments.
• Those who struggle with reliable transportation.

Implementing A Telehealth Solution Into Your Daily Workflow:

• Check your electronic medical record’s (EMR’s) capabilities to see if telehealth is an existing appointment option:
  • If yes, begin offering the AWV as a telehealth appointment option.
  • If no, contact your EMR provider to see if it is a capability.
• Inform your scheduling staff that AWVs can be conducted via telehealth so they can offer it as an option when attempting to schedule members.

During The Telehealth Visit:

• Try to mimic the in-office experience as much as possible:
  • Have a staff member room the patient and perform an equipment check before they see their provider.
  • The majority of the AWV can be nurse led but it’s recommended that a provider always close out the visit.
• Some patients report feeling that telehealth visits don’t feel as comprehensive as an in-person appointment. It’s important that staff and providers make efforts to ensure that the patient feels seen, heard, and that the appointment was worthwhile.

To learn more about our commitment to health equity, visit MyDiversePatients.com. If you have additional questions on annual planned visit rates, please contact your Blue Cross NC representative.

For more information, visit Healthy Blue + Medicare.