Update on the Annual Wellness Visit

I listened in on the CMS Open Door Forum call today and asked about the WPS policy of RNs and LPNs performing the Annual Wellness Visit. Barb Pierce sent me this link. You can read it here:

http://www.wpsmedicare.com/j5macpartb/resources/provider_types/awv-faq.shtml

I asked if this was a WPS or CMS policy and they said WPS. However, they also didn't have a problem with it. Even an LPN doing most of the work of the visit. They noted that the rule talked about health care teams performing the service and that it was a "technical" service. This is certainly not what the Medicare booklet says that patients receive. It says that you're entitled to a physical exam, which this isn't. But, that's water under the bridge.

I also noted that many physicians feel it will be impossible not to address the patient's medical problems. They said that in the proposed rule they thought this would be "uncommon" but they took that wording out of the Final Rule published in November, based on comments they received. They reiterated their point that none of the components used in the Annual Wellness Visit could be used to select a level of service for a problem oriented visit.

This is what I think after today's call:
The billing provider doesn't have to do all of the work.
Encourage staff members to collect all of the data, and do the health education.

You can listen to the call for yourself for three business days:

Encore: 1-800-642-1687; Conference ID: 36839807.
Encore is an audio recording of this call that can be accessed by dialing 1-800-642-
1687 and entering the Conference ID. This recording will be accessible beginning 2
hours after the call ends and will expires after 3 business days.

thanks

great update. Personally I have a problem with non-licensed providers doing this. My patients come to the doctor to see me. But I understand that financial forces lead many to maximize throughput and optimize physician time, but when that happens and people complain about where our medical system has gone wrong we have no argument besides a financial one and that's not why I went into medicine.