“We don't want to just see the patients when they're sick, we want to take care of them when they're healthy as well.”

A Free Medicare Benefit You Might Be Overlooking

When you sign up for Medicare, you’re eligible for a valuable free benefit, but don’t procrastinate, the clock is ticking. “Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans let you have a Welcome to Medicare Visit which becomes the Annual Wellness Visit after the first year,” explains Millennium Physician Group Family Medicine Physician Rick Waks, D.O. “The wonderful thing for the patient is there's no copay associated with it, so the visit's completely free.”

During these visits, you talk with your primary-care provider about how you’re doing, along with all of your preventive care, like your colonoscopy, mammogram, and blood work, to personalize a wellness plan just for you. “So often on other visits, we're focused on your problems,” says Dr. Waks. “So, we don't get the opportunity to discuss things that need to be taken care of on a yearly basis.”

In order to take advantage of this benefit, when you’re enrolling in Medicare or choosing a plan, double check that your primary-care provider is on your plan. “The most important thing is that the patients ensure that their own provider is on their card and that they’re the covering primary-care provider,” says Dr. Waks.

Keep in mind that the Welcome to Medicare and Annual Wellness Visit are not head-to-toe physicals, but are designed to develop or update a personalized prevention plan to help prevent disease and disability, based on your current health and risk factors “We don't want to just see the patients when they're sick,” clarifies Dr. Waks. “We want to take care of them when they're healthy as well, and get all the necessary screening tests done that will prevent disease.”

Depression Screening



Don’t Fall Victim to Medicare Fraud

Guard your Medicare card like it’s a credit card.

Don’t Fall Victim to Medicare Fraud

Medicare fraud is big business for criminals and con artists may start targeting you as soon as you become eligible for enrollment as well as after you’re enrolled. Protect yourself from Medicare fraud and guard your Medicare card like it’s a credit card. Remember:

  • Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare number or other personal information unless
  • you’ve given them permission in advance.
  • Medicare will never call to sell you anything.
  • Medicare will never visit you at your home.
  • Medicare can’t enroll you over the phone unless you specifically ask to be called

You may also fall victim to Medicare fraud if you’re considering additional coverage plans. Independent agents and brokers selling plans must be licensed by the state, and the plan must tell the state which agents are selling their plans. There are specific rules for people representing Medicare plans. They are not allowed to:

  • Ask for your personal information (like your Medicare, Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers) over the phone unless it’s needed to verify membership, determine enrollment eligibility, or process an enrollment request.
  • Come to your home uninvited to sell or endorse anything.
  • Call you unless you’re already a member of the plan. If you’re a member, the agent who helped you join can call you.
  • Require you to speak to a sales agent to get information about the plan.
  • Offer you cash (or gifts worth more than $15) to join their plan or give you free meals during a sales pitch for a Medicare health or drug plan.
  • Ask you for payment over the phone or online. The plan must send you a bill.
  • Tell you that they're Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap) policies.
  • Sell you a non-health related product, like an annuity or life insurance policy, during a sales pitch for a Medicare health or drug plan.
  • Make an appointment to tell you about their plan unless you agree. During the appointment, they can only try to sell you the products you agreed to hear about.
  • Talk to you about their plan in areas where you get health care like an exam room, hospital patient room, or at a pharmacy counter.
  • Market their plans or enroll you during an educational event like a health fair or conference.

Report anything suspicious to Medicare:
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
TTY 1 (877) 486-2048.
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan:
Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor (MEDIC) at 1 (877) 7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379).

Fading Fast-Fewer Seniors Have Retiree Health Insurance

The Kaiser Family Foundation has been tracking trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, and has documented a significant drop in the share of large employers (200+ workers) offering retiree health coverage, from 66 percent in 1988 to 23 percent in 2015.

Learn More

Medicare Annual Wellness Visit



Medicare Fraud- Dos and Don’ts

Some Medicare members are reporting attempted Medicare fraud. The scheme involves callers pressuring them to order unneeded medical equipment. Con artists may try to get your Medicare
Number or personal information to commit Medicare fraud. Medicare fraud results in higher healthcare costs and taxes for everyone. Guard your Medicare card like it’s a credit card. Remember:

  • Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare Number or other personal information unless you’ve given them permission in advance.
  • Medicare will never call you to sell you anything.
  • Medicare will never visit you at your home.
  • Medicare can’t enroll you over the phone unless you called first.

Medicare Fraud DOs

  • Do hang up on unsolicited calls offering you a medical device that will be billed to Medicare.
  • Do carefully review MSNs and EOBs. Call Medicare (800-633-4227) or your insurance company if you see claims for supplies or services you don’t recognize.
  • Do be aware that if you accept an offer of medical equipment, you could be responsible for up to 20 percent of the Medicare-approved cost of the item.

Medicare Fraud DON’Ts

  • Don’t give your Medicare or insurance number to strangers.
  • Don’t order durable medical equipment over the phone unless advised to do so by your physician.
  • Don’t accept delivery of medical equipment unless it was ordered by your doctor.
  • Don’t be swayed by scare tactics, such as claims by an equipment provider that you should get a device now because Medicare is running out of money. Charging Medicare for equipment for future use, before your doctor certifies it as medically necessary, is illegal.

If you get one of these calls, immediately hang up. Here are some other steps you can take:

  • Call your doctor and tell him or her about the attempted scam
  • Call the Medicare fraud hotline: 800-633-4227 (800-MEDICARE)
  • File a complaint at BBB.org/complain
  • Get help from Senior Medicare Patrols: 877-808-2468 or smpresource.org
  • Report the fraud to the FBI at 800-Call-FBI

Check regularly for Medicare billing fraud, review your Medicare claims and Medicare Summary Notices for any services billed to your Medicare Number you don’t recognize and report anything suspicious to Medicare.

The Laker - Lutz - Mental Health Awareness

“I come to the table with no judgment. I’m not going to disregard their concerns, I’m here to listen.”

Older, Wiser, and Depressed?

Don’t Be Afraid to Talk to Your Primary-Care Provider About Mental Health Mental health might not be at the top of your list of issues to discuss with your primary-care provider, but that could be a big mistake. Primary-care providers are often the first to recognize mental health issues, like depression, in their patients.

“They may come in with vague complaints, like headache or stomach pain, even joint pain, and when we dig a little deeper learn it may be exacerbated by depression or even caused by it,” says Millennium Physician Group Family Medicine Physician Andres Santayana, M.D.

According to the National Institutes of Health, more and more patients are receiving psychiatric treatment from primary-care physicians. And for patients enrolled in Medicare, depression screening is a standard part of the free Annual Wellness Visit.

“That’s why we like patients to come in for their Annual Wellness Visit even if they’re feeling healthy, so we can screen for depression,” Dr. Santayana advises. “It’s a simple nine-question evaluation that gives us great insight.”

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and research has found that an estimated one in five American adults experiences mental illness, but less than half of those seek and receive treatment. This is especially true among older adults. In fact, more than half of people older than 65 believe it’s normal to get depressed as they get older.

“They’re of the generation where there may be a stigma attached to depression or other mental health issues,” admits Dr. Santayana. “They also think their symptoms like sleeping more or being more irritable are just a natural part of getting older. But that’s not always the case.”

The mental-physical health connection is important. Research has shown chronic conditions, including diabetes and heart disease, can make depression or anxiety worse and vice versa. Dr. Santayana says addressing mental health concerns starts with having a trusting relationship with your healthcare provider.

“I come to the table with no judgment. I’m not going to disregard their concerns, I’m here to listen.”
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Millennium Physician Group
Andres Santayana, M.D.
Family Medicine Physician
17724 Hunting Bow Circle, Suite 101
Lutz, FL 33558
813.723.5456

Welcome to Medicare Visit



Medicare Fraud DOs