When a patient becomes eligible for Medicare, they may have questions about their care under a new insurance plan. Whether managing a chronic health condition, finding the correct dosage of medication, or being proactive about preventative care, it can sometimes be a challenge to juggle multiple providers in order to develop a comprehensive healthcare plan. To help alleviate these roadblocks, Mason Health is working with new Medicare patients to streamline their healthcare through the Medicare Wellness Program.
Introduced at the beginning of 2022, the free Medicare Wellness Program at Mason Health makes it possible for patients to meet with their medical team to address their health concerns and to help form a preventive healthcare plan. Medicare Part B is required and will waive the patient’s deductibles and copays. Working with the Mason Health medical team, patients will learn how to best protect and manage their health, while also increasing access to wellness resources and prevention services.
“Patients who come in will have their medications reviewed by a pharmacist,” says Jennifer Anderson, director of care coordination for Mason Health. “They will have their charts analyzed by MAs and make sure that it’s up to date and accurate. And then they’ll speak with and interview with the RN as well as the provider.”
Anderson says the Medicare Wellness Program will be beneficial to patients because it enables Medicare patients to become more proactive in their own healthcare experience. After each patient completes their Medicare Wellness Visit, they will be equipped with a menu of healthcare resources and a plan to maintain their best health.
An RN will help the patient to identify which tests or screenings they may need, from a mammogram to a bone density scan. After determining the right tests for each patient, the RN can also help to schedule the necessary preventive screenings.
“We wanted to really capture this group of Medicare patients and do the most that we could for them,” says Anderson. “Our focus is preventative so that the patients have the best outcomes possible, as well as supportive, in pulling in so many members of our Mason Health community.”
The Medicare Wellness Program can also help improve a patient’s quality of life by identifying needs that may otherwise go unnoticed. During a wellness visit, a patient can discuss potential concerns with their provider. This can include acute health issues, but can also cover wider concerns about mobility or accessibility. Through discussion and a risk assessment, the patient’s medical team can connect the patient with long term healthcare management professionals, including a community health worker. A community health worker can then further help patients access mobility aides or other healthcare support in a home setting.
“Some of the other things that we are also able to do is to help identify any health risks that they may be having through observation, as well as through the interview process,” explains Stacy Bonin, an RN care manager for Mason Health. “Also, any home safety concerns that we might have, so that we might be able to intervene early on before it becomes an issue.”
Mason Health patients who are new to Medicare Part B and who qualify for the Medicare Wellness Program can expect to receive a post card in the mail, informing them of the program. A medical assistant will then soon follow up with the patient to schedule their first Medicare Wellness Visit.
Each Medicare Wellness Visit will vary depending on a patient’s health history and current healthcare concerns. If a patient is working to manage a chronic condition like diabetes, or if they have a history of smoking, that may affect the health screenings or follow up tests that are recommended to them.
“These days, our patients are so complex,” says Anderson. “There’s so much going on in everyone’s life. We feel that bringing in all of these really well trained, excellent support staff is the best way to meet their needs and each person will work on a different aspect of their health.”
In addition to developing a current healthcare plan, a Medicare Wellness Visit can also serve as a roadmap for a patient’s future healthcare needs. Mason Health medical staff can help a patient to identify healthy lifestyle changes or refer them to appropriate preventative care. After scheduling the initial preventative screening appointments, the patient can then continue with annual screenings to maintain their best health.
“It will benefit the patient by putting their care in their hands,” says Anderson. “You leave your first appointment with a preventative plan that tells you where you are with each screening test. And then you follow up the next year.”
To learn more about the Medicare Wellness Program or qualifications for a Medicare Wellness Visit, visit the Mason Health website.
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