Annual Wellness Visits: 2012 Fee Schedule Boosts AWV Pay, Adds 'Health Risk Assessment' Tool Criteria

Why This Topic Matters

The article matters because it highlights a Medicare payment change and documentation-related guidance that may affect how annual wellness visits are performed, supported, and billed in practice.

Article Sections

1. Health Risk Assessment guidance and CMS background

   Introduces the CMS discussion of health risk assessment criteria and the related CDC guidance referenced by the article. It also explains the broader context for the annual wellness visit policy update.

2. Pay update for annual wellness visit codes

   Summarizes the fee schedule change affecting the annual wellness visit service categories discussed in the article. The section focuses on reimbursement and resource valuation updates.

3. Use of the HRA in the annual wellness visit

   Describes the role of the health risk assessment within the visit workflow and how CMS frames its relationship to preventive planning. It also notes the article’s discussion of follow-up planning when issues are identified.