From the Guidelines
For Medicare wellness visits, it is recommended to order the following laboratory tests:
Recommended Laboratory Tests
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) to assess overall health and detect any blood-related disorders
- Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) to evaluate kidney function, blood sugar, and electrolyte levels 1
- Lipid Panel to assess cholesterol and triglyceride levels 1
- Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to evaluate thyroid function, particularly in patients with type 1 diabetes 1
- Fasting Blood Glucose or Hemoglobin A1c to screen for diabetes 1
- Urinalysis to assess kidney function and detect any urinary tract infections 1
- Vitamin D level to assess bone health
- Hepatitis C screening for patients born between 1945 and 1965
Additional Considerations
These laboratory tests should be ordered annually for patients 65 and older, or as medically necessary, taking into account individual patient needs and risk factors 1. It is also important to consider other factors such as kidney function, particularly in patients with diabetes, and to order additional tests as needed, such as serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate 1.
From the Research
Laboratory Tests for Medicare Wellness Visits
The following laboratory tests are relevant for Medicare wellness visits:
Considerations for Laboratory Testing
When ordering laboratory tests, consider the following:
- Storage conditions for blood samples, as some parameters may be affected by temperature and storage time 3
- The use of automated hematology analyzers, such as the Sysmex XN, which may have established reference intervals 4
- Resident-identified barriers to mindful ordering, such as knowledge, EMR, habit, and faculty expectations 5
Patient-Centered Care
Patient-centered care outcomes, such as improvement in physical activity, adopting a healthy balanced diet, and weight loss, may influence behavioral beliefs and willingness to implement personalized prevention plans 6