This year is marked by the free physicals offered to those people enrolled in Medicare for the first time. This has been made possible because of the new Affordable Care Act.

People will be able to avail the “Welcome to Medicare” benefit as long as they use it during the first year of their enrolment in Part B. The physicians are needed to comply and agree that their payment will be directly from Medicare. This great news is a part of the effort to concentrate on preventive medicine than focusing on fixing the problem after they arise. Among the preventive services included under Part B are mammograms done to screen breast cancer, annual flu shots and bone density measurements.

Dr. David A. McClellan, the assistant professor of family and community medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, said that there are some conditions in which doctors can screen for including heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, cancer and type 2 diabetes. McClellan added that annual physicals are done to let your primary health care physician to get to know you and vice versa. This means you become more willing to give off information and the doctor can notice even the most subtle changes in your health that could be overseen if you go only when you have a health issue.

Having the initial consultation is advantageous to have a baseline health record that would include a checklist for an action plan that includes vaccinations and other screenings. This is what the Affordable Care Act wants to happen that is why free Medicare physicals are given.