At age 60, Medicare is laser-focused on helping people 65 and older restore, maintain, and achieve optimal health. An integral part of that is wellness checkups that aim to help you prevent or treat physical and mental conditions that can age you prematurely.
The first available wellness checkup is your "Welcome to Medicare" visit. This one-time opportunity, available in the first 12 months of enrolling in Medicare Part B, lets your doctor establish a baseline on your health and identify challenges to be met — and conquered.
The second is the annual wellness visit, which you can have for free every year after the first 12 months of your Part B coverage.
At the annual visit, you will fill out a questionnaire called a "Health Risk Assessment," and the doctor takes routine measurements such as height, weight, and blood pressure.
Your doctor also will review your medical and family history and your current prescriptions (many seniors need to reduce the number of drugs they take).
You'll also be given a screening schedule for mammograms, colonoscopies, prostate checkups, etc.
In addition, you can designate a healthcare proxy and make a living will.
Take the opportunity to become an active participant in the journey to stay physically and cognitively strong. Medicare can help, but you need to take the lead and keep track of your health, act to correct problems, and build an active posse and sense of purpose.