Primary Care in Southlake That Accepts Medicare

We accept Original Medicare and we are taking new Medicare patients age 16 and older at our Southlake office.

The distinction that costs people money

Original Medicare does not cover a routine annual physical the way most commercial plans do. What it covers is different, and the names are confusingly similar.

Welcome to Medicare visit. A one-time preventive visit available only during your first twelve months on Part B. If you are newly enrolled, this is worth scheduling deliberately rather than letting the window close.

Annual Wellness Visit. Available every year after that. It is a prevention planning visit: a health risk assessment, review of your medications and medical history, cognitive screening, a personalized written schedule of the screenings you are due for, and advance care planning if you want it. Generally no cost sharing.

A routine annual physical. Not a covered Medicare benefit in the way people expect.

What this means practically is that a Medicare patient who books “my annual physical” and expects a full head to toe exam at no cost is going to be disappointed by either the visit or the bill. We would rather sort this out when you book. Our Medicare Annual Wellness Visit page lays out exactly what is included.

What Medicare does cover well

A great deal, and much of it is underused:

• The Annual Wellness Visit every year
• Screenings including colorectal cancer, mammography, bone density, diabetes screening and cardiovascular risk screening
• Vaccines including influenza, pneumococcal, hepatitis B and COVID-19
• Visits to manage chronic conditions, subject to the Part B deductible and coinsurance
• Chronic care management services for patients with multiple chronic conditions
• Diabetes self-management training and medical nutrition therapy in the right circumstances

If you have not had a wellness visit in the last year, you are leaving a covered benefit on the table.

Chronic conditions, which is most of the work

Most of our Medicare patients are managing blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, thyroid function, kidney function, arthritis, or several at once.

The single thing that improves that care is continuity. Keep seeing the same provider and the person adjusting your medication is the person who saw what happened the last three times. Dr. Farhan Abdullah, DO, board certified in Internal Medicine, and Rachael Bowen, NP see patients here, both working from one chart. We are small enough that this is simply how it works.

See chronic care management for how we handle it.

Costs under Original Medicare

Preventive services including the Annual Wellness Visit are generally covered in full. Other visits are subject to your Part B deductible and then coinsurance, typically 20 percent, which a Medigap supplement plan may cover.

If you have a supplement, bring that card as well as your Medicare card.

Practical details

Free surface parking directly in front, no garage, a short flat walk with no stairs. If you have mobility trouble, park nearest the door and someone can help you in.

Bring your red white and blue Medicare card, any supplement or Part D card, a photo ID and your complete medication list including supplements.

Book a visit, or see our Southlake directions and parking.