Annual Well Woman Exam
Your annual well-woman exam will include a breast exam, pelvic exam, and pap smear (if needed). Most insurance companies will pay for one well woman exam per year at 100% with no copay. Many times insurance companies also dictate what problems can be addressed at the same time as your annual exam. Some insurance companies will allow certain procedures, etc. to be performed at the time of the routine annual screening exam and others do not.
Medicare rules state that pap smear screening and pelvic exams are covered once every 24 months for all women unless you are considered high risk.
Your physician can discuss this with you and determine if you are high risk and if you should be seen any sooner than every 24 months.
Oftentimes we are able to address simple problems at this visit. However, we are unable to address numerous complicated problems at the same time as the annual exam. When you call to schedule your annual exam, please indicate to the appointment scheduler if you also have a problem that needs to be addressed. On occasion, we will request that you schedule a separate appointment to address the problem if it is a complicated issue that may take extra time.
By asking your physician to address a problem at the time of the annual exam, you run the risk of additional charges that you might not expect. Your annual well-woman exam is just that—a screening exam for a woman without any known problems—and is covered with no copay with many insurances. However, a problem visit requires a copay.
We strongly recommend that you contact your insurance company to fully understand your benefits prior to any appointment.
Important Information for our Patients Regarding Annual Well Woman Exams
Additional Information: What happens at an Ob-GYN checkup and why?