What is the difference between preventive care visit and office visit?

Asked by: Marielle Raynor Sr.  |  Last update: July 3, 2025
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The purpose of a preventive visit is to review your overall health, identify risks and find out how to stay healthy. Your plan covers 100% of a preventive visit when you see a doctor in your plan network. * The purpose of an office visit is to discuss or get treated for a specific health concern or condition.

What is the difference between preventive visit and office visit?

In simplest terms, preventive services are for patients who don't have symptoms or complaints and office visits are for patients who have medical conditions that need to be addressed by the healthcare provider.

Can you bill an office visit with a preventive visit?

Physicians are not prohibited from coding and billing for both preventive and problem-focused E/M services when they are performed during the same appointment.

What is considered an office visit for insurance?

What is included in an “office visit?” The purpose of an “office visit” is to discuss, evaluate, and treat a SPECIFIC health concern or condition or chronic problem that has changed. This type of visit may include lab work, X-rays or additional tests related to your health concern.

What is the difference between preventive care and well visit?

Preventive care is things like getting your yearly check ups, your vaccinations, things like that to keep you from getting sick. And then wellness care would be like, "I'm sick I should go to the doctor now."

Annual Wellness or Preventive Care Billing Rules - Chapter 22

20 related questions found

What is an office visit?

An office visit is designed to discuss new or existing health issues, concerns, worries or symptoms. Your provider may order tests, prescribe medication, refer you to a specialist or provide advice and education. Office visits are covered by a standard insurance co-pay or deductible.

Which is typically included in a preventive care visit?

A preventive visit typically covers a physical exam as well as a check in on your mental health to help your doctor identify any medical issues that could become a major concern, either physical or mental.

What are the two categories of office visits?

There are two main categories for doctor visits. The first is called E&M (evaluation and management) and is when you need treatment for an active disease such as the flu, ear ache, bladder infection, diabetes or high blood pressure. The second type is a preventive visit, also called a physical or checkup.

Do office visits go toward deductible?

For example, if you get services during an office visit from an in-network provider and your health plan's allowed amount for an office visit is $100, you'll pay $100 for that visit if you haven't met your deductible, and the visit is subject to the deductible.

What is the difference between an appointment and an office visit?

An appointment is something you do to make something in a certain timespan now or in the future to have a possible contact with the clinic or anyone in the Clinic. A Visit is a result of an appointment and can be anything that that client has to do in the clinic for any sort of car.

What is required for preventive visit?

Components of a preventive visit
  • A comprehensive history and physical exam findings;
  • A description of the status of chronic, stable problems that are not “significant enough to require additional work,” according to CPT;
  • Notes concerning the management of minor problems that do not require additional work;

Can you bill 99213 and 99396 together?

In this case, you may submit codes for both a preventive service (such as 99396) and a regular office visit (such as 99213) by attaching -25 to the office-visit code.

Why did my insurance not cover my doctor visit?

In some cases, the service simply isn't covered by the plan. In other cases, necessary prior authorization wasn't obtained, the provider wasn't in-network, or the claim was coded incorrectly.

Can you bill an office visit with an annual wellness visit?

CPT states that if a new or existing problem is assessed and managed at the time of the preventive visit, the physician should also bill a problem-oriented visit (an office visit) on the day of the preventive care. But insignificant problems that do not require extra work should not be billed as office visits.

What are two types of preventive care?

Services like screenings, dental check-ups, and vaccinations are key to keeping people of all ages healthy. But for a variety of reasons, many people don't get the preventive care they need.

Is a sick visit preventive care?

Preventive care means you are seeing your healthcare provider regularly to help you stay healthy. Regular well visits can help keep you from getting sick and find health problems early. On the other hand, sick care is when you see a provider because you are not feeling well.

Do you pay deductible for office visit?

For example, a health plan may apply a deductible for covered inpatient and outpatient hospital services. Doctor visits, however, may be exempt from the plan's deductible. Instead of a deductible, your cost-share amount might be a flat dollar amount, such as a $30 copayment for each office visit.

Why do doctors bill more than insurance will pay?

It is entirely due to the rates negotiated and contracted by your specific insurance company. The provider MUST bill for the highest contracted dollar ($) amount to receive full reimbursement.

What is the quickest way to meet your deductible?

How to Meet Your Deductible
  1. Order a 90-day supply of your prescription medicine. Spend a bit of extra money now to meet your deductible and ensure you have enough medication to start the new year off right.
  2. See an out-of-network doctor. ...
  3. Pursue alternative treatment. ...
  4. Get your eyes examined.

What is the difference between 99213 and 99214?

The primary difference between CPT code 99213 and 99214 lies in the complexity and time involved. While 99213 is for a low level of medical decision-making, 99214 is used for moderate complexity, requiring a higher level of medical decision-making and more extensive history and examination.

What is the 3 year rule for new patients?

By CPT definition, a new patient is “one who has not received any professional services from the physician, or another physician of the same specialty who belongs to the same group practice, within the past three years.” By contrast, an established patient has received professional services from the physician or ...

What is the difference between preventive care and office visit?

The purpose of a preventive visit is to review your overall health, identify risks and find out how to stay healthy. Your plan covers 100% of a preventive visit when you see a doctor in your plan network. * The purpose of an office visit is to discuss or get treated for a specific health concern or condition.

What is not covered under preventive care?

What's not considered preventive care? There are times when certain tests and screenings aren't considered preventive care. Things like diagnostic care, bloodwork and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing may or may not be considered preventive.

Is yearly blood work considered preventive care?

Answer: If the physician orders lab work during a preventive care visit some of the tests may be covered as preventive care, such as a cholesterol screening. However, other blood chemistry panels like iron, kidney or liver function and urinalysis, would not be covered as preventive care.