The Welcome to Medicare Visit: A Plain-English Checklist

What the Welcome to Medicare visit is (and isn't)

The Welcome to Medicare preventive visit is officially called the Initial Preventive Physical Examination, or IPPE. Its purpose is to promote good health through disease prevention and early detection. It is meant to be a starting point for your care under Medicare, giving you and your provider a baseline picture of your health.

It is important to understand that this is not a full head-to-toe physical exam. It does not replace an annual physical, and it is not the same as the yearly Wellness visit (a separate, recurring benefit covered later in this guide). Think of it as a structured conversation and review rather than a hands-on examination.

When you can get it and what it costs

Medicare covers the Welcome to Medicare visit once per lifetime, and only if you have it within the first 12 months you are enrolled in Part B. Once that 12-month window closes, you can no longer get this particular visit.

You are not required to get the visit. If you miss the 12-month window, you do not lose access to preventive care — you simply move on to the yearly Wellness visit benefit instead (see below). Skipping the Welcome visit does not affect your eligibility for the yearly Wellness visit.

• Cost: You pay nothing for the visit if your doctor or provider accepts assignment.
• The Part B deductible does not apply to this visit.
• Frequency: Once per lifetime, within the first 12 months of Part B coverage.

What happens during the visit: the checklist

During the visit, your provider works through a set of preventive topics. Knowing what to expect helps you get the most out of your appointment.

• A review of your medical and social history related to your health.
• Information about preventive services, including certain screenings and recommended vaccines (such as flu and pneumococcal vaccines).
• A review of potential risk factors for substance use disorder, such as alcohol and tobacco use, with a referral for treatment if needed.
• Calculation of your body mass index (BMI).
• A simple vision test.
• A review of your potential risk for depression.
• An offer to talk with you about creating advance directives (your wishes for future medical care).
• Referrals for other care as needed.

What to bring to your appointment

Because the visit relies on reviewing your history, a little preparation makes it far more useful. There is no official required list, but the items below help your provider give you accurate guidance.

• Your Medicare card.
• A list of all medications, vitamins, and supplements you take, including doses.
• Your medical records or a summary of past conditions, surgeries, and immunizations if you have them.
• Your family health history (conditions that run in your family).
• The names and contact information of the other doctors who care for you.
• Any questions you have about screenings, vaccines, or advance directives.

Watch for extra tests that may carry a cost

The visit itself is free with assignment, but additional services performed during the same appointment may not be. If your provider performs tests or services that Medicare does not cover under the preventive benefit, you may owe 20% coinsurance and the Part B deductible may apply.

A screening EKG (electrocardiogram) is a specific example to know about. A screening EKG is no longer a mandatory part of the Welcome to Medicare visit. It may be performed as a one-time service only if your provider refers you for it as a result of the visit. Unlike the visit itself, the Part B deductible and 20% coinsurance do apply to a screening EKG.

For reference, in 2026 the Part B deductible is $283 per year and coinsurance is 20% of the Medicare-approved amount on most services. The standard Part B premium is $202.90 per month. These costs do not apply to the Welcome visit itself, but they can apply to follow-up diagnostic services. If you are unsure whether something will be billed, ask your provider before the test is done.

Welcome to Medicare visit vs. yearly Wellness visit

These two benefits are often confused, but they are separate. The Welcome to Medicare visit is a one-time event in your first year of Part B. The yearly Wellness visit is a recurring benefit you can use once every 12 months to develop or update a personalized prevention plan. Like the Welcome visit, the yearly Wellness visit is not a physical exam.

Your first yearly Wellness visit cannot take place within 12 months of your Part B enrollment or within 12 months of your Welcome to Medicare visit. Importantly, you do not need to have had a Welcome to Medicare visit to qualify for a yearly Wellness visit — they are independent benefits.

You pay nothing for the yearly Wellness visit if your doctor accepts assignment, and the Part B deductible does not apply.

• Welcome visit: once per lifetime, in the first 12 months of Part B.
• Yearly Wellness visit: once every 12 months, but not within the first 12 months of Part B (or within 12 months of the Welcome visit).
• Yearly Wellness visit includes: a Health Risk Assessment questionnaire, routine measurements (height, weight, blood pressure), a cognitive assessment to check for signs of dementia or Alzheimer's, and a review of your medical history, medications, functional ability, and safety.
• Neither visit is a hands-on physical exam; neither charges you when the provider accepts assignment.