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Once you sign up for Medicare, everyone receives a free medical exam. It's called your Welcome to Medicare exam or visit.

The primary purpose of this visit is to give your Medicare doctor insight into your current health and to establish a baseline for future care.

Here are some key things to know about this particular doctor visit:

• This visit must take place in the first 12 months of signing up for Part B.
• This visit is free (100% covered) if the provider (doctor) accepts Medicare patients.
• This visit is optional, not required.

Here are some things to expect during the exam. The doctor will:

• Evaluate your medical history
• Check blood pressure
• Record height and weight
• Discuss current conditions and prescriptions
• Create a preventative screenings calendar

The doctor will want to know if you are up to date on health screenings such as mammograms, colonoscopies, prostate exams, and others.

This visit is NOT an in-depth, comprehensive, full-body work-up physical that includes a body...