Physicians Lack Time, Tools for Medicare’s Cognitive Screening Benefit

Primary care physicians have one more item on their to-do lists: screening for cognitive impairment among Medicare beneficiaries. Under section 4103 of the Affordable Care Act, Congress added a new benefit that provides full coverage for an Annual Wellness Visit for all Medicare beneficiaries…"A lot of patients don’t ask for that exam, at least not in our neck of the woods," said Dr. Eric Tangalos, an internist and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. And he said physicians aren’t likely to suggest scheduling the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit starting at age 65, because some of the testing doesn’t have much clinical relevance that would aid in the care of patients.