Initial Preventive Physical (IPPE / Welcome to Medicare)
Initial Preventive Physical Examination
One-time Medicare preventive visit (G0402) furnished within 12 months of Part B enrollment.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Billing
- Acronym for
- Initial Preventive Physical Examination
- Primary sources
- 1
- Workspace handoff
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Where this comes up
This shows up in revenue-cycle work — claim scrubbing, charge entry, posting, A/R follow-up, and month-end close. Billers and practice managers hit this term when reconciling a payment, working a denial queue, or auditing why a claim aged past 60 days.
Full definition
What it is in practice
CMS covers G0402 once per beneficiary lifetime, within 12 months of Part B effective. The IPPE includes risk assessment, screening review, end-of-life planning, and an EKG (G0403-G0405).
How it shows up in your practice
Distinguish IPPE from the AWV in patient communication and chart documentation. The patient education that the IPPE is one-time helps prevent confusion when the next year's visit is billed as an AWV.
Sources
- CMS — Medicare Annual Wellness Visithttps://www.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/medicare-learning-network-mln/mlnproducts/preventive-services/medicare-wellness-visits.html
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This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.