Key takeaways
- Medicare’s yearly Wellness visit produces a written prevention plan and costs nothing if your provider accepts Medicare’s approved amount, but a study published in 2019 found only 18% of people in traditional Medicare had received one12.
- The VA’s free Personal Health Inventory asks you to rate where you are and where you want to be in eight self-care areas, a simple way to find your next focus34.
- In a 2024 review, new health habits took a median of about two months to feel automatic, and the authors advise expecting two to five months, so give each focus at least a season of about three months5.
- Bring in a pharmacist as well as a clinician: every Medicare drug plan must run a medication management program for certain members, built with pharmacists7.
- A good plan covers your foundations, names one focus at a time, fits your budget and schedule, and gets a short monthly review and a fuller reset each season.
Since early 2011, Medicare has covered a yearly visit whose main product isn’t a test result or a prescription. It’s a written plan2.
The Annual Wellness Visit includes a health questionnaire, a review of your prescriptions and a personalized prevention plan, which is a written checklist of the screenings, vaccines and other preventive services you need1. If your provider accepts Medicare’s approved amount, you pay nothing for the visit itself1.
Few people use it. A 2019 AARP Public Policy Institute study, cited by the National Council on Aging and USAging in 2022, found that only 18% of people in traditional Medicare and 25% of those in Medicare Advantage had received one2. The brief didn’t say which years those figures covered, so treat them as a dated snapshot.
That gap says something about wellness plans in general. Most of us have health goals, but few of us write a plan down, and fewer still look at it again.
A wellness plan isn’t a stack of supplements or a 30-day challenge. It is one page that covers your foundations, names one focus at a time and fits your real budget, schedule and medical needs. Here is how to build one, review it and adapt it to very different lives.
A wellness plan is a page, not a shopping cart
A useful plan answers five questions:
- What matters most to me right now, and why do I want better health?
- Where do my foundations stand: sleep, movement, food, alcohol and tobacco, connection and stress?
- What is my one focus this season?
- What limits do I plan around, including time, money and medical needs?
- When will I review the plan?
If you are brand new, our guide “Where to begin when almost no one gets all the health basics right” covers the first 30 days. This article picks up after that first month.
For the big picture of what “whole person” health means, see “Most of your health is shaped outside the exam room”.
Balance doesn’t mean giving every area equal time. It means no important area is ignored, and only one area is being pushed hard at any moment.
The VA built a planning tool worth borrowing
The Department of Veterans Affairs runs its Whole Health program around a self-reflection tool called the Personal Health Inventory3. Its stated purpose is to help people decide what matters most in their lives and which health goals to chase3.
The long form, updated in April 2026, opens by asking what matters most to you and what brings you joy4. Then it asks you to rate your physical well-being, your mental and emotional well-being and your day-to-day life on a scale of 1 to 54.
Next come eight self-care areas: moving the body, surroundings, personal development, food and drink, recharge, family, friends and co-workers, spirit and soul, and power of the mind4. For each one, you mark where you are now and where you would like to be, again from 1 to 54.
You don’t have to fill in every area, and the workbook suggests starting with the easier ones4. In the VA system, the next step is to set goals and build a plan with your care team3.
The most useful idea to borrow is the gap. An area where you are a 2 and want to be a 4 is a candidate focus. An area where you are a 2 and feel fine about it can wait. That gap is a better guide to your next step than any influencer’s list.
Work on one area per season
In this guide, a “season” means about three months. The length matches the calendar, but the reason comes from habit research.
A 2024 review pooled 20 studies with 2,601 participants, though only four measured how long habits took to form5. In the two that reported medians, new health habits took 59 and 66 days to become automatic5. One stretching study reported averages of 106 days for morning practice and 154 for evening, and in one study individual times ran from 4 days to 3355.
The authors advise expecting two to five months5. A focus that hasn’t settled after one season can stay for a second.
Two other findings help with planning. Habits people chose for themselves, and habits done in the morning, tended to grow stronger5. So pick your own focus, and schedule it early in the day when you can.
Is one area at a time proven to beat several at once? No. A 2016 review found six trials that tested this head to head, and overall the two approaches worked about equally well6. Three trials did find a difference: two favored the one-after-another approach for quitting smoking, and one favored the all-at-once approach for cutting dietary fat6. One focus per season is a way to keep the load light, not a tested law.
To choose each season’s focus, go in this order:
- Anything your clinician flags as urgent, such as very high blood pressure or blood sugar that isn’t controlled.
- The biggest gap between “now” and “want” in an area you care about.
- Your readiness, meaning the area where you can already name a small first step.
Everything else goes on “keep.” You don’t drop the walk you already take just because this season is about sleep.
Your clinician and pharmacist belong in the plan
A plan you build alone can miss what you can’t see or feel, like an overdue screening or two medicines that clash. That is why your care team belongs on the page.
If you have Medicare, you can get a Wellness visit once every 12 months1. The first one can’t happen within 12 months of starting Part B or of a “Welcome to Medicare” visit1. The visit covers a health questionnaire, routine measurements, family history, a check for memory problems and a look at substance use, plus your written prevention plan1.
Two cautions apply. The Wellness visit is not a routine physical, and extra tests or services can bring a bill, so ask what Medicare covers before you agree to them1.
Pharmacists are the most overlooked members of the team. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires every Medicare drug plan to run a medication therapy management program for certain members7. The program must be developed with pharmacists and physicians, and its goals are better use of medicines and fewer harmful drug events7.
Who qualifies depends on the plan, so call yours and ask. If you’re not on Medicare, our article “The preventive care that costs you nothing, and the exceptions” explains what most plans cover. And whatever your coverage, read “What happens when you don’t tell your doctor about supplements” before your next visit.
The one-page plan template
This template is ours, built on the ideas above. Fill it in on paper or in a note on your phone, and keep it to one page.
| Part | What to write | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What matters most | One or two sentences about why you want better health | “Keep up with my grandkids” works better than “lose weight” |
| 2. My numbers and care | Date of your last checkup, your blood pressure, key lab results, and the date a clinician or pharmacist last reviewed your medicines and supplements | Update it after every visit |
| 3. Foundations check | Rate sleep, movement, food, alcohol and tobacco, connection, stress and purpose, “now” and “want,” from 1 to 5 | Label each one Keep, Watch or Work on |
| 4. This season’s focus | One area, its smallest daily version, the cue (“After I…, I will…”) and one support person | Only one Work on at a time |
| 5. Guardrails | Your monthly wellness budget, the hours per week you can spare, and any medical limits your clinician set | If an idea breaks a guardrail, it isn’t for this season |
| 6. Review dates | Dates for monthly mini-reviews and the next seasonal reset | Put them in your calendar today |
The budget line matters more than it looks. Most foundation work costs little, but wellness spending can creep through supplements, subscriptions and gadgets. Our guides “A healthy month of groceries, priced by the government” and “Three questions to ask before you pay for a supplement” can help you set a realistic number.
Review monthly, reset every season
A plan you never reread is a wish list. Two short rituals keep it alive.
The monthly mini-review (about 10 minutes):
- Did I do my focus habit on most days?
- What got in the way, and what is one fix I can try?
- Did any area slip from Keep to Watch?
- Is there anything new to tell my clinician or pharmacist?
The seasonal reset (about 30 minutes, every three months or so):
- Re-rate each area, “now” and “want.”
- Decide whether the focus stays for another season, moves to Keep or gets swapped.
- Check your guardrails against any changes in work, family, budget, diagnoses or medicines.
- Book any screening or visit that is coming due.
No trial has tested this exact rhythm. It is practical judgment, timed to match how long habits usually take to settle5. If you use a wearable, compare your numbers with your own past readings, as “Your wearable’s best number is your own normal, not the average” explains.
Three sample plans for three different lives
The three people below are hypothetical composites, not real cases. The facts behind each plan come from the sources cited.
| Plan part | Night-shift nurse, 34 | Retiree with knee arthritis, 71 | Parent of two toddlers, 38 |
|---|---|---|---|
| What matters most | Feeling rested enough to enjoy days off | Gardening and walking with friends | Having energy for the kids |
| Biggest limit | Sleeps during the day | Knee pain and several medicines | Broken sleep and almost no free time |
| Season 1 focus | Daytime sleep | Walking | Movement in short pieces |
| Smallest version | In bed soon after getting home, room dark, phone silenced | A 10-minute walk on flat ground, three days a week | Ten minutes of brisk stroller walking most days |
| Care team step | Raise sleep problems that don’t improve | Book the Wellness visit; ask the drug plan about a medication review | Mention low mood or exhaustion at a checkup |
| Budget item | Eye mask or blackout shades | Supportive walking shoes | $0 |
| Season 2 idea | Meals and snacks on shift | Strength and balance work | Sleep, shared with a partner |
The night-shift nurse starts with sleep because her schedule fights it. A federal safety agency, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), advises night workers to go to bed soon after the shift and to nap before the next one when possible8. It also suggests a very dark room, with light blocked at windows and under doors, plus earplugs or white noise and a silenced phone8. In its advice for evening-shift workers, NIOSH adds that a drink right before bed may help you fall asleep but can make it harder to stay asleep9.
The retiree with arthritis starts with walking because it targets pain, mood and independence at once. A 2015 CDC report said physical activity can reduce joint pain and disability, yet only about 1 in 10 people with arthritis met federal activity guidelines10. CDC lists Walk With Ease, a six-week walking program, among the programs it recommends1011.
The evidence there has honest limits. In a 2015–2017 evaluation of the self-guided version among Montana state employees, most of whom didn’t have arthritis, people walked more after six weeks12. Pain and fatigue eased for those who started with moderate or severe symptoms, but pain didn’t change significantly among participants with arthritis12.
The study had no comparison group, so some of that easing may be the natural drift back toward normal that follows a bad stretch. Walking gains also shrank by six months, when only 30% of people answered the follow-up12. Her plan also includes the Wellness visit and a medication review, since several medicines raise the stakes17.
The parent of toddlers doesn’t start with sleep, because sleep may not be fully in his control yet. A 2019 study of 4,659 German parents found that mothers lost about an hour of sleep a night in the first three months after a birth, and fathers lost about 15 minutes13. Neither mothers’ nor fathers’ sleep fully returned to pre-pregnancy levels within six years of a first child’s birth14.
Higher income and having two parents in the home didn’t protect against the loss13. So this plan starts with movement in short pieces, which now count toward federal activity guidelines15. The guidelines say any amount of activity brings some health benefit, so a 10-minute stroller loop isn’t too small to matter15.
Balance is a rhythm, not a perfect score
Many natural-health traditions think in seasons and cycles: times to build, times to rest, times to harvest. A plan that changes focus every few months fits that way of thinking better than a rigid program that never ends.
Balance also means accepting limits without shame. A night shift, a stiff knee or a toddler who wakes at 3 a.m. isn’t a failure of discipline. It is the ground your plan has to stand on.
And a balanced plan makes room for medical care. A blood pressure medicine or a pharmacist’s review doesn’t cancel your natural-health values. It protects the body you are working to care for.
What the evidence shows
| Plan feature | Evidence level | What the research shows |
|---|---|---|
| Build the plan on foundations like activity | Federal guidelines link activity to lower disease risk and easier osteoarthritis pain15 | |
| Activity eases arthritis pain and improves function | CDC guidance and federal guidelines1115 | |
| A self-guided walking program eases arthritis pain | In one uncontrolled evaluation, pain eased only for people who started with more of it12 | |
| Give each focus area about three months | for a set length | Habits took a median of about two months, with wide variation5 |
| Work on one area at a time rather than several | Six head-to-head trials found mostly no difference, except for smoking6 | |
| Monthly and seasonal reviews keep a plan working | Practical judgment, not tested as a schedule | |
| New parents’ sleep bounces back within a year or two | Not fully recovered six years after a first birth14 |
Questions readers ask
Do I need a coach or an app to make a wellness plan?
No. A single sheet of paper works, and it is free. Apps and coaches help some people, but check what they offer first; our article “Wellness apps help a little if you keep using them, and most people don’t” covers the evidence.
What if my clinician’s priority is different from mine?
Put anything urgent first, such as uncontrolled blood pressure. Then make your own priority the next season’s focus, or look for a change that serves both. Walking, for example, can help blood pressure and give you time outdoors.
Can I work on two areas if they fit together?
Yes. A weekly walk with a friend serves movement and connection at once. The rule is one main effort, not one area of benefit.
I’m 66 and have never had a Wellness visit. Is it too late?
No. Medicare covers the visit once every 12 months, and the first one can’t happen within 12 months of starting Part B1. Ask your provider whether they accept Medicare’s approved amount, and bring your one-page plan.
The bottom line
A balanced wellness plan is small on purpose. It fits on one page, keeps every foundation in view, pushes on one area per season and leaves room for your budget, your schedule and your medical needs.
Write it down, put the review dates in your calendar and invite your clinician and pharmacist in. Then let the plan change as your life does.
Related reading
About this article
This article was researched using Medicare and CMS materials, VA and CDC resources, federal activity guidelines and peer-reviewed studies, all listed below. It was reviewed in October 2026. It is general education, not medical, legal or financial advice.
Sources
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Yearly ‘Wellness’ Visits.” Medicare.gov, accessed October 2026. medicare.gov
- National Council on Aging and USAging, Aging and Disability Business Institute. “Policy Spotlight: Medicare Annual Wellness Visit.” May 2022. advancingstates.org
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Personal Health Inventory.” VA Whole Health, updated April 2026. va.gov
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Personal Health Inventory” (long form). VA Whole Health, April 2026. va.gov
- Singh B, Murphy A, Maher C, Smith AE. “Time to Form a Habit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Health Behaviour Habit Formation and Its Determinants.” Healthcare, 2024;12(23):2488. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- James E, Freund M, Booth A, et al. “Comparative efficacy of simultaneous versus sequential multiple health behavior change interventions among adults: A systematic review of randomised trials.” Preventive Medicine, 2016;89:211–223. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Medication Therapy Management.” CMS, accessed October 2026. cms.gov
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. “Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours, Module 9: Coping With the Night and Evening Shifts (Sleep).” CDC, 2018, reviewed 2020. cdc.gov
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. “Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours, Module 9: Evening Shift.” CDC (archived). archive.cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Announcements: Arthritis Awareness Month — May 2015.” MMWR, 2015;64(16):445. cdc.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “How CDC Improves Quality of Life for People With Arthritis.” Fact sheet, reviewed 2019.
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and CDC. “Self-Directed Walk With Ease Workplace Wellness Program — Montana, 2015–2017.” MMWR, 2018;67(46). stacks.cdc.gov
- University of Warwick. “New parents face up to six years of sleep deprivation.” Press release, 2019. warwick.ac.uk
- Richter D, Krämer MD, Tang NKY, Montgomery-Downs HE, Lemola S. “Long-term effects of pregnancy and childbirth on sleep satisfaction and duration of first-time and experienced mothers and fathers.” Sleep, 2019;42(4):zsz015. wrap.warwick.ac.uk
- Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, HHS. “Top 10 Things to Know About the Second Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.” Updated November 2025. odphp.health.gov