Annual Wellness Visits: 5 Strategies Help You Deal With Patients Who Refuse to Complete HRA Form

Why This Topic Matters

Understanding the documentation and billing impact of an incomplete annual wellness visit helps practices avoid payment problems and manage patient-facing workflow more effectively. It is especially relevant for teams that support Medicare preventive services and need to align office processes with CMS requirements.

Article Sections

1. Background

   Introduces the Medicare annual wellness visit context and the role of the health risk assessment in CMS guidance. It also frames the patient-refusal problem and the purpose of the article’s recommendations.

2. 1. Send the patient a copy of the requirement.

   Discusses using written CMS materials to help patients understand that the assessment is part of the visit. It focuses on patient education resources and compliance awareness.

3. 2. Assign a staff member to assist the patient in completing the HRA.

   Covers office workflow support for patients who need help completing the form and mentions CMS recognition of staff time. It also references work relative value unit changes associated with the annual wellness visit.

4. Time suggestion:

   Provides a general estimate of staff time for helping with the assessment during first and subsequent visits. It is presented as operational guidance within the broader workflow discussion.

5. 3. Send it to the patient the day she makes her appointment.

   Describes sending forms ahead of time so patients have additional opportunity to complete them before the visit. The focus is on pre-visit preparation and convenience.

6. 4. If all else fails, have the physician go over it with the patient during the visit.

   Explains a visit-day approach in which the clinician reviews the assessment with the patient. The section addresses how this fits into the annual wellness visit workflow and documentation process.

7. 5. Explain to the patient that without the HRA, you'll be forced to bill a preventive medicine visit -- which is non-covered by Medicare.

   Covers the billing implications when the annual wellness visit requirements are not met and the encounter must move to another preventive service category. It also mentions beneficiary notification and related office documentation steps.