Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Soon to Announce White House Run, Sows ...

Did You Know? Medicare Does Not Cover A Physical Exam

The "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit is not a physical exam.

getty

A friend, new to Medicare, asked me whether Medicare covered annual physicals. I told him, "No, it doesn't." The Social Security act clearly prohibits Medicare from paying for annual physical examinations.

A week later, he told me I was wrong. He found proof that Medicare does indeed cover these examinations. "Physical exams, right there, on the HHS.Gov website, in the list of services that Part B covers." (Health and Human Services is an agency of the federal government that administers health and welfare programs, including Medicare.)

I replied that I wasn't wrong, HHS just shortened the title for a preventive service that Medicare does cover.

The Affordable Care Act introduced the Initial Preventive Physical Examination. This preventive service for those with Medicare does not resemble a physical exam. There is no palpation (feeling with fingers or hands), no auscultation (listening to body sounds) and no percussion (tapping body parts), all essential components of a physical examination. And, unlike annual physicals, you only get one visit, within the first 12 months of Part B enrollment.

Because "physical examination" is in the regulatory title, there was and still is considerable confusion. Medicare now calls this service a "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit.

More about the Welcome Visit

The Welcome to Medicare visit is a review of your medical and social history and counseling about preventive services. Specifically, this visit includes:

Height, weight, and blood pressure measurements

A calculation of body mass index

A simple vision test

A review of risk factors for depression, functional ability and safety level, and current opioid prescriptions

Screening for visual acuity and potential substance use disorders

Education, counseling, and referral based on previous components, and

End-of-life planning (if the patient consents).

Annual Medicare Wellness Visit

Medicare offers a second preventive visit; this one is every 12 months. It may be annual, but this visit is also not a physical exam. The purpose is to update the personalized prevention plan. The components include:

A review of medical and family history

Height, weight, blood pressure, and other routine measurements

Detection of any cognitive impairment

Personalized health advice

Updating the list of current providers, suppliers, prescriptions, and health risk factors, and

Advance care planning.

Both these visits address a plan for screenings, vaccinations, and other preventive services, including:

Flu and COVID vaccinations

The RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine (now covered with no cost sharing under Part D, prescription drug coverage)

Annual mammogram

Prostate cancer screening, and

Colonoscopy.

Medicare covers many more preventive services designed to help beneficiaries stay healthy, most with no cost sharing. Find the list here.

Take-away points

First, here are a few points about the two wellness visits.

There is no cost for the initial welcome or annual wellness visits.

However, if the physician addresses a medical issue, such as elevated blood pressure, don't be surprised if you get a bill. That's because the visit would be considered diagnostic and cost sharing (deductible and/or copayment) applies.

If you have Original Medicare, see providers who accept Medicare assignment.

If you chose a Medicare Advantage plan, schedule your appointments with in-network physicians, most likely with your primary physician.

And here's what my friend and you need to know about annual physical exams.

Even though Medicare does not cover them, you can still get a physical exam. But know that you may have to pay for parts or all of it. For example, Part B would cover an EKG or chest x-ray for medical reasons, like an abnormal heart rhythm or severe lung congestion, with the usual cost sharing.

Some Medicare Advantage plans offer routine physical exams, generally when performed by the primary care physician. Check the plan's Evidence of Coverage for more information.

Finally, no matter the issue, know that what you read on a website may not be correct. Double check coverage before you proceed.

Check out my website or some of my other work here. 

How Much Does A Vet Visit Cost? (2024 Pricing)

Key Takeaways

The average cost of a routine veterinary checkup is $25 to $186, according to the pet financing experts at CareCredit. 

Emergency vet visit costs can range from $374 to $1,285.

Connecticut has the most expensive routine vet costs, with an average bill of $93.

The average cost of pet vaccinations ranges from $20 to $60.

Average Veterinary Visit Costs by State

According to the American Pet Products' (APP) National Pet Owners Survey, which uses data from 2023 to 2024, 66% of U.S. Households own a pet, which equates to 86.9 million households. Whether you already have a pet or want to add a furry friend to your home, understanding how much a vet visit costs can help you prepare for expected — and unexpected — veterinary bills.

The actual cost will depend on the type of pet, where you live and the services your pet requires, such as vaccinations, blood tests, imaging, medications or other treatments.

The most basic veterinary service is an "office visit," which includes a physical examination and veterinarian consultation to determine your pet's care needs.

The following chart outlines the average office visit costs in each state across the country. This will give you an idea of local pricing, but your vet clinic may charge slightly more or less.

Emergency Veterinary Care Costs

According to a CareCredit study, the average annual pet health care costs — which include expected wellness expenses and sick pet and emergency care — range from $374 to $965 for cats and $534 to $1,285 for dogs. Unfortunately, you cannot always predict your pet's health needs and certain diseases or conditions can cost extra thousands any given year.

We calculated expected care costs for common pet illnesses and injuries using claims data from several popular pet insurance companies. The chart below outlines costs for common pet illnesses and injuries:

What Impacts The Cost of a Vet Visit?

Veterinary costs depend on several factors, including where you live, your pet's age, breed and if they have any pre-existing conditions. Generally speaking, mixed-breed pets may cost less to insure than certain purebreds with an increased risk of genetic diseases or specific breed-related problems, such as French bulldogs. Puppies, kittens and senior pets may also require special veterinary care that typically costs more than standard adult pet care.

Cats and dogs incur similar costs throughout their lifetime, although cats may cost slightly less because they are smaller, require fewer vaccinations and are less accident-prone. However, cats are not necessarily healthier than dogs and may incur significant vet bills for acute or ongoing medical conditions.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to our recent survey, where we polled 1,000 pet owners, one-third of pet owners are completely unprepared to pay for an unexpected veterinary bill and the majority of pet owners can only afford $500 out-of-pocket.

When To Bring Your Pet To The Vet

There are a few reasons that pets should visit the vet, including annual routine care visits and emergency care for accidents or illnesses.

Annual check-ups: It is recommended that pets visit the vet once a year for a routine wellness exam. During this exam, a vet will check for any developing health issues and ensure vaccinations are up-to-date.

Illnesses: If a pet displays symptoms like lethargy, changes in appetite or thirst, or physical changes, they may have developed an illness that requires a veterinary diagnosis and treatment. Making sure a sick pet receives veterinary attention gives it the best chance at recovery.

Accidents: Pet injuries resulting from events like falls, cuts or getting hit by a car may require immediate vet care like wound treatment or surgery. Having an emergency vet fund or pet insurance can offset high costs in these traumatic situations.

Specialty care or surgery: For complex health issues beyond a general vet's expertise, pets may need referrals to dedicated specialists like surgeons, ophthalmologists, dermatologists or neurologists. These services provide focused treatment but typically cost more.

Other emergencies: Even with the best care, pets can experience emergencies like choking, heat stroke and toxin ingestion that require immediate veterinarian care. Preparing an emergency plan, including which veterinary office to visit, can help your pet get care quickly when in need.

What To Expect During a Veterinary Visit Routine Check-Up Exams

Your pet should visit the veterinarian at least once per year for routine care, which costs an average of $50 to $80 for a cat or dog. Your vet will perform a nose-to-tail examination of your pet and discuss with you any abnormal findings and the benefits of additional treatments. Routine wellness examinations can detect health issues early before they snowball into larger problems. Common examples include:

Arthritis

Dental disease

Lumps or bumps

Heart conditions

Obesity

Vets often perform other wellness services, such as vaccines, parasite testing, microchipping or geriatric screenings, alongside a routine checkup. As a note, the cost of these services may vary and are not typically included in the price of a routine checkup.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations protect your pet from serious and sometimes deadly diseases that circulate among wildlife or other community pets. Puppies and kittens are most at risk for contracting these diseases because of their immature immune systems, but adults can also be affected.

A vaccine works by presenting your pet's immune system with inactive versions of bacteria or a virus, so their system learns to fight future diseases. This immunity is crucial not only for pets but also for people since some diseases can be spread from pets to humans.

Most vaccines are administered as an initial series with two or three doses several weeks apart, and your pet is boosted with another single dose every one to three years, depending on the product. A single vaccine dose can cost from $20 to $60.

Vaccination Costs for Dogs

You can break vaccinations down into core and non-core categories. Core vaccines are recommended, or required by law in some cases, for all pets. Non-core vaccines are recommended only for pets with specific lifestyle factors that increase disease risks, such as socialization with other pets or swimming in natural water.

The average cost of vaccines for dogs is summarized in the table below:

Vaccination Costs for Cats

Cats require different vaccinations than dogs and generally receive fewer vaccinations overall. All cats — including exclusively indoor cats — need vaccinations to stay healthy. While vaccines sometimes caused tumors at injection sites in the past, the tumor-causing substances have been removed from modern, cat-specific vaccines.

The following table summarizes the average cost of cat vaccines:

Flea, Tick and Heartworm Prevention

Fleas and ticks are not only a nuisance for your pet and in your home but also serve as vessels that can transmit dangerous diseases, such as Lyme disease or cat scratch fever, to you and your family. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquito bites and live in your pet's heart and lungs. They can grow up to a foot long, causing inflammation, serious damage and sometimes sudden death.

Diseases that result from fleas, ticks and heartworms can be expensive and difficult to treat, which is why monthly preventive medications against all three parasites — typically combined into one or two separate products — are recommended for all pets. Currently, six months of protection from the three parasites costs around $150 for cats and up to $210 for large dogs.

Dental Care

Dental disease affects nearly all dogs and cats by 2 years of age, and causes difficulty eating, pain, loose teeth and bad breath. Similar to people, pets need regular professional dental cleanings, although pet cleanings must be performed under general anesthesia. Annual checkups and cleanings are ideal, but some pets may require more or fewer frequent visits.

Professional dental care costs vary depending on disease severity. A routine, preventive dental cleaning averages $300 to $500, but pre-anesthetic blood work, tooth extractions, X-rays or medications may be extra.

Spaying and Neutering

Spaying and neutering are routine surgeries recommended for most pets to prevent reproduction and reduce cancer and other reproductive health problems. A spay surgery removes a female pet's uterus and ovaries, and a neuter surgery removes a male pet's testicles. Sterilization procedures average $200 to $600.

In general, spaying is more expensive than neutering because the surgery is more invasive. Both procedures are less expensive in cats than in dogs. Shelters, rescues, your local ASPCA or low-cost community clinics may offer procedures at a lower cost than private veterinary hospitals.

The following table summarizes the average spay and neuter costs for dogs and cats:

Diagnostic Testing

Routine diagnostic tests that provide more information about internal health usually round out your pet's wellness visit. Early organ function changes are generally not detectable on a physical examination, but diagnostic tests will help catch any changes. When compared year after year, annual diagnostic blood and urine tests allow your veterinarian to determine your pet's baseline and watch for slowly trending values over time.

Typical costs for blood and/or urine tests are $80 to $200 for dogs or cats. Annual heartworm testing, which will run around $35 to $75, is also recommended for dogs.

Medications

Routine medical issues, such as urinary tract infections, allergies, kennel cough or gastrointestinal (GI) upset, are often resolved with medications. Arthritis, thyroid disease or diabetes management may also require long-term medications.

For your convenience, most veterinarians stock medications in-house or provide an online pharmacy store. An independent pet or human pharmacy can also fill your pet's prescription. Many larger pharmacies provide medications at a lower cost than private veterinary facilities because of their collective buying power.

Below are some common pet medications and their average costs, according to Chewy, a popular, competitively-priced online pet pharmacy.

Fecal Examinations

A fecal exam is the study of a small stool sample on a microscope slide, looking for and identifying eggs that would indicate intestinal parasite infestation. These tests can be performed at the veterinary hospital or sent to an outside veterinary laboratory. Puppies and kittens commonly harbor parasites that were passed in utero so they require several serial tests. Adult pets need fecal tests once or twice per year, depending on their exposure level to other pets.

Fecal tests are similar in pricing to heartworm tests, with an average cost of $35 to $75.

Questions To Ask Your Pet's Veterinarian

If you are looking for a lower-cost or new veterinarian, remember that pricing is set per practice and can vary widely. Plus, your decision should be based on more than cost, as lower costs sometimes equate to corner-cutting. A good veterinarian will discuss total costs with you upfront and provide you with a spectrum of treatment options, allowing you to choose the best option for your pet's needs and your family's budget.

Ask your veterinarian these questions to help you budget for your pet's care:

How much do you charge for an office visit?

What vaccinations does my pet need?

Does my pet need annual diagnostic tests?

Which parasite preventives are best for my pet?

How can I avoid unexpected pet health costs?

Do you offer payment plans for surgeries or other large bills?

How can I save money on my pet's medications?

How often should my pet visit for wellness care?

Do you offer any promotions or discounts throughout the year?

How To Save Money on Veterinary Visits

Most pet owners consider their pets as family members and want to provide them with the best possible veterinary care. But this is becoming more difficult as vet care costs rise. Budgeting for expected wellness expenses by setting money aside is a good start, but you should also consider setting up an emergency pet fund, opening a pet credit card or purchasing pet health insurance to help cover unexpected costs.

How Pet Insurance Helps with Veterinary Costs

Pet insurance works similarly to human health insurance, with a few differences. You pay a monthly or annual premium for veterinary care coverage, but most pet insurance plans require you to pay your veterinarian directly and receive reimbursement for the bill later. Major plans cover accidents and illnesses, and many also offer optional wellness and dental coverage. Sliding reimbursement rates and deductible amounts allow you to customize most insurance policies.

One major caveat to pet insurance is that it rarely covers pre-existing conditions, unlike many human health insurance plans. So the earlier you acquire your pet's health insurance, the more complete their coverage will be over time. You can still purchase a plan later in your pet's life but will have to continue covering costs associated with any existing conditions. For example, if your pet has cataracts when you purchase an insurance policy versus developing it afterward, your provider will likely not cover treatment.

Similar to a human health insurance policy, pet insurance premiums rise as your furry friend ages. Premiums may also depend on your pet's breed. Average annual pet health insurance costs between $350 and $500 per year for a standard accident and illness plan. When you consider unexpected pet expenses, insurance can save you money over time and make healthcare decisions easier.

What Pet Insurance Could Save You

Let's say your pet had an emergency vet visit that cost $150. With an 80% reimbursement rate, you would pay only $30 out of pocket.

Accident and Illness Plans

A good accident and illness plan covers pet injuries, illnesses and chronic diseases — as long as they are not pre-existing. Always read your policy's fine print carefully before choosing a plan. You should also consider what could happen to your pet down the road and what treatments you'd like covered. Avoid plans with per-condition spending limits or per-condition deductibles.

We recommend that you consider the following coverages when choosing a pet insurance policy:

Hereditary, congenital, and breed-related conditions: Insurance is necessary for all purebred pets due to the risk of breed-specific diseases and should be considered for most other pets.

Bilateral conditions: If your pet tears a knee ligament on one side, they likely will tear the other. You want to make sure your plan covers both the initial and second incidents.

Cancer care: Most plans include cancer care, but may have specific exclusions or limits regarding treatment.

Rehabilitation: If your pet has surgery, will the plan cover their post-operative rehabilitation? This is an important consideration so you have coverage for any resulting treatments.

Complementary and alternative therapies: If you prefer a holistic approach, you'll want this coverage for treatments such as acupuncture or laser therapy.

Chronic conditions: Check your policy's coverages for common chronic conditions, such as kidney disease or arthritis. Good pet insurance plans cover long-term conditions without significant limitations.

Accident-Only Plans

Accident-only plans are not the best option for most pet owners since they do not provide continued coverage for ongoing medical concerns. While these policies may be a good option if your pet has pre-existing conditions, you should focus your coverage on unexpected events like emergency vet visits.

Preventive Care Plans

Pet insurance is not intended to cover routine wellness exams and costs, which you can instead plan and budget for. If you add a preventive care or wellness plan to your policy, you'll pay a higher monthly premium but will have fewer out-of-pocket veterinary expenses.

When evaluating preventive care plans, compare your pet's typical annual wellness costs to any additional premium charges. You should also consider your budgeting capabilities and if you can put money aside for your pet's wellness care, which lessens the need for pet insurance with a preventive care add-on.

Frequently Asked Questions About Veterinary Visit Costs How often should my dog visit the veterinarian?

How often a dog should go to the veterinarian depends on their age and health. Healthy puppies will need to visit once per month until their vaccinations are complete at 4 months old. Adult dogs should visit once per year. Seniors or dogs with health conditions should visit twice per year.

What is the average cost of a veterinary visit for a dog or cat?

A dog or cat routine veterinary visit costs on average between $50 and $250, depending on the services provided. Care for a sick pet can cost substantially more.

How much does it cost to spay a dog?

Spaying or ovariohysterectomy is the removal of a female dog's uterus and ovaries to prevent unwanted pregnancies and reproductive tract cancers. This is a major surgery performed under general anesthesia and averages $400 to $600.

What does a veterinarian do when they examine a pet?

During a physical exam, your veterinarian will perform a comprehensive, nose-to-tail body system review, which includes:

Eye exam with ophthalmoscope

Ear exam with otoscope

Oral/dental health exam

Body weight and muscle tone assessment

Skin, coat and external parasite check

Heart and lung auscultation

Basic orthopedic exam

How much is a veterinary visit in California?

California's overall cost of living is higher than other areas in the U.S., so veterinary care may be more expensive. Banfield Pet Hospital, a large national veterinary chain, charges $79 in Los Angeles and $94 in San Francisco for a basic office visit — much higher than the average $64 in other cities and states.

Importance Of Annual Scans & Preventive Care With Life Guard Imaging

TAMPA (BLOOM) – Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Player and Life Guard Imaging VP of Business Development Martín Gramática appears on the nationally syndicated health & wellness show, Bloom, with Guest Host Farron Hipp to discuss life saving stories and the importance of being proactive and putting your health in your hands by getting annual scans and screening.

From their heart health and full body scans to their virtual colonoscopies, Life Guard Imaging provides innovative screening technology. Early detection can increase your chances of survival. Currently, Life Guard Imaging is one of only 6 facilities in the country offering these scans right in the Tampa Bay area. The incredible body scan at Life Guard Imaging can detect heart disease and hundreds of forms of cancer.

BLOOM SPECIAL OFFER TODAY ONLY Visit Lifeguardimaging.Com or Call TODAY 813-582-5222 to receive and schedule a Free Heart Scan and Consultation — a $599 value when you mention Gayle/Bloom.

---