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Do Medicare Supplement Plans Cover Annual Physicals?

 

Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated October 22, 2026

Key Takeaway

Medicare Supplement plans do not cover routine physicals because Medicare does not. Medicare does cover a free yearly Annual Wellness Visit, and your Medicare Supplement plan helps with any covered care that comes out of it.

Many people expect their Medicare Supplement plan to pay for a yearly physical. The answer depends on what kind of visit you get. Medicare covers a free yearly wellness visit, but not a full routine physical exam. Here is the difference and what you pay for each.

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What Medicare Covers vs a Routine Physical

Medicare Supplement plans and annual physicals: Welcome to Medicare visit $0, Annual Wellness Visit $0, routine physical not covered

Welcome to Medicare

✔One-time preventive visit
✔Within your first 12 months of Part B
✔$0 with a provider who accepts assignment

Annual Wellness Visit

✔Covered once every 12 months
✔Reviews health and prevention plan
✔$0 with a provider who accepts assignment

Routine Physical

✔Full head-to-toe exam
✔Not covered by Original Medicare
✔You pay the full cost

Source: Medicare.gov preventive services.

Why Medicare Supplement Plans Don't Cover Physicals

All Medicare Supplement plans follow one rule: they only pay toward services Original Medicare covers. Since Medicare does not cover a routine physical, no plan letter does either.

✔
Plan G, Plan N and every other letter follow the same rule
✔
The wellness visit is already $0, so there is nothing to supplement
✔
Extra tests or care during the visit can trigger normal Part B costs
✔
Your Medicare Supplement plan then helps pay your share of those costs

The same rule decides other coverage questions too. See does Medicare Supplement cover home health care for how it works with care at home.

How to Get Your Free Annual Wellness Visit

1
Wait until you have had Part B for 12 months. Your first year uses the Welcome to Medicare visit instead.
2
Choose a provider who accepts Medicare assignment. That keeps the visit at $0.
3
Ask for the Annual Wellness Visit by name when you book. Offices bill it differently from a physical.
4
Bring a list of your medications and health questions. The visit focuses on prevention and planning.
5
Schedule it once every 12 months. Visits less than a year apart may not be covered.

What You Pay If Your Visit Turns Into Care

If your doctor checks a new problem or orders tests during your wellness visit, that part of the visit is billed under regular Part B rules.

Your plan What you may pay
Plan G Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), then $0
Plan N Part B deductible, then up to a $20 office copay
No Medicare Supplement plan Part B deductible plus 20% coinsurance

CMS has not announced the 2027 Part B deductible yet.

Good to know: Ask your doctor’s office to bill the visit as your Annual Wellness Visit so you pay $0.

The Bottom Line

Medicare Supplement plans do not pay for routine physicals, but Medicare covers a free yearly wellness visit. For everything else, Plan G or Plan N keeps your doctor costs low and predictable.

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Do Medicare Supplement Plans Cover Annual Physicals — Frequently Asked Questions

➤ Do Medicare Supplement plans cover annual physicals?

Not routine physical exams. Medicare Supplement plans only pay for services Original Medicare covers, and Medicare does not cover a routine head-to-toe physical.

➤ Does Medicare cover a yearly checkup?

Yes. Part B covers a yearly Annual Wellness Visit to create or update a prevention plan. You pay nothing if your provider accepts Medicare assignment.

➤ What is the Welcome to Medicare visit?

It is a one-time preventive visit you can get within the first 12 months you have Part B. It is free if your provider accepts assignment.

➤ What if my doctor runs extra tests during the wellness visit?

Extra tests or treatment can fall under regular Part B costs. Your Medicare Supplement plan can then help pay your share, depending on your plan letter.

➤ Does Plan G cover physicals?

Plan G does not cover routine physicals. It does pay your share of Medicare-covered care after you meet the Part B deductible.

➤ Do any plans cover a full routine physical?

Some Medicare Advantage plans include a routine physical as an extra benefit. Medicare Supplement plans do not add extra benefits like this.

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