Annual Wellness Exam — Know What to Expect & Build a More Complete Picture of Your Health
Learn how your Annual Wellness Exam supports Your Health Journey, including what it is, what’s included, what to expect before, during, and after your visit, the choices you have, and which visit is right for your needs.
Q: What is the Annual Wellness Exam?
A: The Annual Wellness Exam is Crossover's comprehensive yearly preventive care visit that replaces the traditional Annual Physical. It includes the core preventive care services you're familiar with—such as reviewing your health history, medications, preventive screenings, and routine lab work—while also incorporating additional health assessments that provide a more complete picture of your overall health and help guide your care over time.
Q: Why did Crossover replace the Annual Physical with the Annual Wellness Exam?
A: We evolved the traditional Annual Physical into a more comprehensive Annual Wellness Exam to help you stay healthy—not just treat health problems when they arise. By taking a more proactive, prevention-focused approach, the Annual Wellness Exam helps identify potential health concerns earlier, supports healthier habits, and gives you and your Care Team a clearer understanding of your health over time.
Q: How is the Annual Wellness Exam different from a traditional Annual Physical?
A: The Annual Wellness Exam includes the core elements of a traditional Annual Physical while expanding to include body composition measurements, fitness and functional assessments, lifestyle questionnaires, and other preventive health measures. These additional assessments provide a more complete view of your health and help your Care Team make recommendations to support your long-term health and well-being.
Q: Will the Annual Wellness Exam cost me anything?
A: No. The Annual Wellness Exam is a preventive care visit and is covered as part of your Crossover benefit, so there is no cost to you. If you have questions about your healthcare benefits or coverage, your Care Team or benefits administrator can help.
What's Included
Learn about the assessments and activities included in your Annual Wellness Exam.
Q: What new elements are included in the Annual Wellness Exam?
A: The exam will include body composition measurements, fitness and functional assessments, comprehensive labs, and structured prevention-focused discussions with the provider.
Q: Why are functional measures included?
A: Functional measures such as fitness, strength, and body composition help provide a broader understanding of overall health and can help identify opportunities for earlier prevention and intervention.
Q: What are the fitness and functional assessments for?
A: The fitness and functional assessments help your Care Team better understand how your body is functioning today, not just identify disease or health risks. Depending on your visit, they may include simple activities like a brief step test or grip strength assessment.
Together with your labs, vitals, and other health information, these assessments provide a more complete picture of your overall health and help guide prevention-focused recommendations.
Your Care Team will explain each assessment, and if one isn't appropriate for your health, mobility, or comfort level, it can be modified or skipped.
Before, During & After Your Visit
Learn what to expect before, during, and immediately after your Annual Wellness Exam.
Q: What can I expect during my Annual Wellness Exam visit?
A: Before your appointment, you'll complete pre-visit questionnaires and check-in information. On the day of your visit, please wear comfortable clothes and shoes, as you'll participate in a brief step test and other functional assessments. Clinical staff will collect vitals, labs, and additional health measures, and your provider will review the results with you and discuss recommendations and next steps to support your health goals.
Q: How long does the Annual Wellness Exam appointment take?
A: The Annual Wellness Exam is designed to take approximately 60 minutes. Part of the visit is completed by nursing staff or a medical assistant, followed by time with your provider to review your results and discuss prevention-focused next steps.
Q: Will the Annual Wellness Exam be available virtually?
A: The Annual Wellness Exam is designed as an in-person experience because it includes physical assessments, labs, and functional measurements.
Q: What happens after my Annual Wellness Exam?
A: After your Annual Wellness Exam, the information collected during your visit contributes to your Health Coordinates, which bring important health information together so it’s easier to understand.
Your Health Coordinates can help you see what’s going well and where you may need support. You’ll also see Your Next Steps—recommended actions that help you know where to focus and what you can do.
If you have questions about your results or Your Next Steps, your Crossover Care Team can help you understand your information and decide what actions to take.
To learn more, visit the Health Coordinates FAQs to understand your health information and results, or the Your Next Steps FAQs to learn more about recommended actions and where to focus.
Your Choices During the Exam
Learn about your choices if you don't want to complete all or part of your Annual Wellness Exam.
Q: What if I don't want to complete all or part of the Annual Wellness Exam?
A: You can choose whether to complete the Annual Wellness Exam or any part of it. Your Care Team can explain the purpose of each part of the exam and answer any questions you have.
If you choose not to complete a specific part, your Care Team can continue with the remaining appropriate parts of your exam and use the information available to support your care. Depending on what is not completed, your Health Coordinates may be incomplete or require additional information before your results can be generated.
Choosing the Right Visit for Your Needs
Learn when to schedule an Annual Wellness Exam and when an Office Visit may be a better fit.
Q: Is the Annual Wellness Exam intended for acute or ongoing medical concerns?
A: The Annual Wellness Exam is primarily focused on prevention and your overall health assessment. If you need medication management, chronic condition follow-up, review of test results, or evaluation of new symptoms between Annual Wellness Exams, an Office Visit is generally the better fit.
Together, Annual Wellness Exams and Office Visits help ensure you receive both preventive care and ongoing healthcare throughout the year.
Q: What are the differences between an Annual Wellness Exam and an Office Visit?
A: The Annual Wellness Exam is your comprehensive yearly preventive visit. It focuses on establishing your health baseline through screenings, labs, functional assessments, and conversations with your provider to support long-term health and prevention. Preventive services, such as Pap tests and other recommended screenings, may also be completed during this visit based on your needs, priorities, and available time.
Office Visits are designed for healthcare needs that arise throughout the year, such as medication management, chronic condition follow-up, reviewing results, and new symptoms or concerns. Certain preventive services, such as Pap tests and other recommended screenings, may also be completed during an Office Visit when clinically appropriate, including if they weren’t completed during your Annual Wellness Exam.
Together, the Annual Wellness Exam and Office Visits provide complementary care, helping ensure you receive both preventive care and ongoing support throughout the year.
Q: Which appointment should I schedule?
A: Schedule an Annual Wellness Exam for your yearly preventive visit. Schedule an Office Visit for medication refills, chronic condition management, reviewing results, illnesses or new symptoms, injuries, or follow-up care.
Certain preventive services, such as Pap tests and other recommended screenings, may be completed during either visit when clinically appropriate, based on your needs and available time. If you're unsure which appointment is right for you, your Care Team can help.