Short answer up top, then the exact rule. Here's what Original Medicare does and doesn't cover for the Welcome to Medicare preventive visit in 2026 — and where a Medicare Advantage plan can fill the gap.
Quick answer: Yes — free, once. You can get the Welcome to Medicare preventive visit once within the first 12 months you have Part B. You pay $0 when the provider accepts assignment, and the Part B deductible doesn't apply. It is not a comprehensive physical exam.
Medicare Advantage plans must cover the Welcome to Medicare visit at $0 in-network. Many MA plans also push their own in-home or annual health assessment on top of it — those are plan programs, not this Part B benefit, so don't let one be substituted for the other in a client's head.
Every brand-new Part B enrollee — and the window is the whole point: 12 months from the Part B start date, then it's gone for good. After that the yearly Wellness visit takes over (once every 12 months). For an agent, this is the single cleanest first-year touchpoint: a free visit with a hard deadline is a reason to call that isn't a sales pitch.
See the current Part A, Part B, and Part D numbers — premiums, deductibles, and the new drug cap — in one place. Free, no signup.
See 2026 Medicare Costs →Once within the first 12 months you have Part B. After that window closes you can't get it — but you become eligible for the yearly Wellness visit, which Medicare covers once every 12 months.
Yes. You pay nothing when your provider accepts assignment, and the Part B deductible doesn't apply. If your provider does additional tests or services during the same visit that Medicare doesn't cover under this preventive benefit, you may pay coinsurance and the Part B deductible may apply.
Coverage gaps in Original Medicare — like the Welcome to Medicare preventive visit — are exactly what a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan is meant to fill. Our free Enrollment Finder shows the window you can switch in, and the guide library walks through the trade-offs. This page is free to share with anyone weighing their options.
Open the Enrollment Finder →This answer is based on U.S. government Medicare coverage rules: