Medicare Primary Care in St. Petersburg
A primary care practice that works with Medicare every day. We help you get the most from your Welcome to Medicare and Annual Wellness Visits, keep your preventive care on schedule, and manage your health with a doctor who knows you.
Call (727) 820-7800Primary Care Built Around Medicare
Many of our patients are on Medicare, so our internists know how its preventive benefits, billing rules, and plan types work in practice. That helps you get the covered care you are entitled to and avoid surprises such as a free wellness visit that turns into a bill.
Whether you are turning 65, moving to St. Petersburg, or looking for a new doctor after a retirement, we can become your primary care home. Read our guide for choosing a primary care doctor when you are new to Medicare.
Welcome & Wellness Visits
Your one-time Welcome to Medicare visit and yearly Annual Wellness Visits, with a written prevention plan and screening schedule.
Original Medicare or Advantage
We see patients with Original Medicare and can check whether we are in your Medicare Advantage plan's network before your first visit.
Care That Adds Up
Chronic condition management, medication reviews to cut risky prescriptions, and coordination with every specialist you see.
How Medicare Works at Our Office
Your first year on Medicare
In your first 12 months of Part B, Medicare covers a one-time Welcome to Medicare preventive visit to review your history, check blood pressure and other measurements, and plan your screenings. After that, you are eligible for a yearly Annual Wellness Visit.
If you have Original Medicare
You can see any doctor who accepts Medicare, with no referral needed. After the Part B deductible, you usually pay 20% coinsurance for covered visits, unless you have a Medigap or other supplemental plan. Many preventive services cost nothing when your doctor accepts assignment.
If you have Medicare Advantage
Plans have networks, copays, and often referral rules. Call us before your first visit so we can confirm we are in your plan's network. Our guide to Medicare Advantage versus Original Medicare explains what changes at the doctor's office.
Avoiding surprise bills
A wellness visit is free, but examining a new problem or ordering new tests during it can be billed as a separate service. We will tell you when that applies. See preventive versus diagnostic visits.
Changing plans during open enrollment?
Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. Before you switch plans, confirm that your doctors, usual hospital, and prescriptions are covered by the new plan. Florida's free SHINE program offers unbiased Medicare counseling.
Medicare Questions
Do you accept Medicare in St. Petersburg?
Yes. Zimmer Medical Group cares for many patients with Original Medicare and is welcoming new adult patients. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, call (727) 820-7800 before your first visit so we can confirm we are in your plan's network.
Is the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit a physical exam?
No. The Annual Wellness Visit is a conversation-based visit to build or update your prevention plan: your health risks, medications, screenings, and vaccines. You pay nothing for it if your provider accepts assignment. If you want a problem examined or new tests during the same visit, those services can be billed separately.
Does Medicare cover a yearly physical?
Original Medicare does not cover a routine yearly physical exam. It covers a one-time Welcome to Medicare preventive visit in your first 12 months of Part B and a yearly Annual Wellness Visit after that. Some Medicare Advantage plans add a routine physical as an extra benefit, so check your plan.
Can I keep my doctor if I switch to a Medicare Advantage plan?
Only if your doctor is in the new plan's network. Most Medicare Advantage plans use provider networks, and HMO plans usually require you to choose a primary care doctor and get referrals. Before you switch during open enrollment, confirm that your doctors and your usual hospital are in the plan.
When can I change my Medicare coverage?
The yearly Medicare Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7, with changes taking effect January 1. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can also make one change between January 1 and March 31. Special enrollment periods apply after events such as moving.
Can I use Medicare if I join a concierge membership?
Yes, at a practice that participates in Medicare. Medicare does not pay the membership fee, but it continues to cover medically necessary visits, tests, and services the way it normally does. Ask whether a concierge doctor has opted out of Medicare, because in that case Medicare pays for nothing they provide.
Find a Medicare Primary Care Doctor in St. Petersburg
New to Medicare or looking for a new doctor? Call to schedule your first visit. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, we will check your network first.
Call (727) 820-7800References
Trusted Resources for Medicare
For further reading, our team recommends the following authoritative sources. These external links open in a new tab.