Every Physical in One Place: The Complete Denton Guide

Reviewed by the Evolve Health clinical team · 2026-10-17 · 9 min read

At the front desk, the same three questions come up every week. "My job just said 'get a physical' — which one?" "Medicare says my wellness visit is covered, so why do I still need an exam?" "My kid needs a sports physical — is that the same as the yearly checkup?" Each question has a clean answer, but only once you know which exam is which. The sections below take them one at a time, then a comparison table and a short decision guide pull it all together.

1. The annual physical — your full health baseline

The annual physical is the visit everything else builds on: a head-to-toe exam, a review of your history and medications, and a complete lab panel, once a year. At Evolve Health it includes blood work covering your CBC, cholesterol, blood sugar (A1C), thyroid, liver, kidney, and a urine check — the numbers that catch diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol problems while they are still easy to manage. It is often $0 with acceptable insurance, and for self-pay patients it is $150 with the full lab panel included. Our annual physical guide walks through the visit step by step, this breakdown explains each lab in the panel, and if you have ever wondered about the copay fine print, this article explains when an annual physical is really free. Men and women both use this visit as their yearly screening anchor — age-appropriate checks like colorectal screening and prostate or cervical screening discussions are planned here, with referrals arranged when a test happens elsewhere.

2. The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit — a plan, not a hands-on exam

If you are on Medicare, you will hear about the Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) — and it is the most misunderstood appointment on this page. The AWV is a planning visit: you complete a health-risk questionnaire, review your history, medications, and care team, and leave with a personalized prevention schedule. What it does not include is a hands-on physical exam or a routine lab panel. It is a valuable visit — Medicare designed it to keep your screenings and prevention on track — but it does not replace the annual physical above, and many Medicare patients schedule both. Evolve Health accepts Medicare Part B, and Medicare Advantage coverage is verified per plan, free, before your visit. Our side-by-side guide, Medicare Annual Wellness Visit vs. annual physical, shows exactly what each visit covers so there are no surprises.

3. The DOT physical — the federal CDL exam

Commercial drivers answer to a different rulebook. The DOT physical follows the federal FMCSA checklist — vision, hearing, blood pressure, urinalysis, and a review of conditions that affect safe driving — and ends with a medical examiner's certificate. It is in person only (federal rules; there is no telehealth version), and at Evolve Health it is $99 with code EVOLVE, with the certificate issued the same day if you qualify. Four guides cover the details drivers ask about: the blood pressure rules (the readings that pass, and the ones that shorten your card), what can disqualify you — and what can often be managed instead, the diabetes and insulin rules, and, for employers, how driver medical cards work for Denton fleets. One warning that saves drivers real money: a DOT exam does not double as your annual physical, and your annual physical does not produce a medical card. They are separate exams, scheduled separately.

4. Sports and school physicals — the form the coach requires

Every season, Texas student-athletes need a completed pre-participation form before they can practice. The sports physical is a focused screening: height, weight, blood pressure, vision, heart and lung checks, and a review of injury history and warning signs — all aimed at one question: is it safe for this student to play this sport? Bring the school or league form with you; the visit is built around completing it. What it is not is a replacement for the annual physical in section 1 — it skips the lab panel and the broader health review. Many families schedule both in the same summer. Our guide to sports physicals for Texas students covers the UIL form, timing, and what happens if something needs a closer look. Call ahead for the current price when you book — we will always tell you before the visit.

5. Pre-employment physicals — the exam your new job asked for

When an employer says "you need a physical before your start date," they usually mean a pre-employment exam matched to the job: a general fitness-for-work check, sometimes with specific components the employer lists. (Drivers are the exception — a CDL job means the DOT physical in section 3, not a general exam.) Because employer requirements vary, pre-employment physicals at Evolve Health are quoted by scope before scheduling — you and the employer know the price before anyone books. Our pre-employment physicals guide for Denton employers and new hires covers what is included, what it costs, and how fast it can be turned around.

6. TB testing and titers — the school and healthcare-worker requirements

Nursing students, healthcare students, and many healthcare employees need documented screening rather than a full exam: a TB blood test (QuantiFERON) and, often, titer testing that confirms immunity from past vaccination or infection. These are lab visits, not physicals — but they are the requirement that most often blocks a start date, so they belong on this page. Three guides cover the details: TB testing for nursing school, why the blood test matters if you had the BCG vaccine, and titer testing for healthcare students. If a TB hold is blocking your enrollment, this guide is written for international students in exactly that spot. Bring your program's requirement list so the right tests are drawn the first time.

All six, side by side

Which one do you actually need? The five common confusions

• "Wellness visit" vs. annual physical. On Medicare, the Annual Wellness Visit is a planning conversation with no hands-on exam. If you want to be examined and have labs drawn, you want the annual physical. Many patients do both, in either order.
• DOT physical vs. annual physical. Only the DOT exam produces a medical examiner's certificate for your CDL, and it follows federal rules only a certified examiner can sign off on. Your annual physical keeps you healthy; it does not keep your license valid.
• Sports physical vs. annual physical. The sports physical answers the coach's question — safe to play? The annual physical answers yours — how is my child's overall health, growth, and development? One does not substitute for the other.
• Pre-employment physical vs. DOT physical. If the job involves a CDL, the "physical" your employer means is the DOT exam. If it does not, it is a general pre-employment exam matched to the employer's list. When a job letter is vague, call us with the letter in hand and we will match you to the right one.
• Wellness visit vs. sick visit. A physical of any kind is for prevention, screening, and paperwork — scheduled when you feel fine. If you are sick today, that is a sick visit: $75 flat self-pay, in person in Denton or by video anywhere in Texas. Mixing the two in one appointment can also change how insurance codes the visit, so tell us up front which you need.

What to bring, and how booking works

Every physical goes faster with the same short kit: your insurance card, a photo ID, and your medication list. Drivers add their previous medical card and records for any condition on the federal checklist; students bring the school, league, or program form. Our what-to-bring checklist breaks the list down physical by physical. Evolve Health is at 2442 Lillian Miller Pkwy, Suite 115 in Denton, open Monday–Friday, 7 AM–5 PM, with weekends by appointment. Walk-ins are welcome, same-day appointments are offered when the schedule allows, and booking ahead is the surest way to get the time you want. If insurance is involved, we verify your coverage free from your card, photo ID, and date of birth — and tell you the answer before your visit. We speak English, Nepali & Hindi, with interpreter assistance available for other languages.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between an annual physical and a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit?

An annual physical is a hands-on exam: your clinician listens, checks, measures, and reviews lab work with you. A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is different — it is a planning conversation built around a health-risk questionnaire, a review of your history and medications, and a personalized prevention schedule. Medicare's wellness visit does not include a hands-on exam or routine lab panel, which is why many patients schedule both kinds of visits. Our guide to the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit vs. the annual physical walks through what each one covers.

How much does a physical cost at Evolve Health in Denton?

It depends on the type. An annual physical is often $0 with acceptable insurance, or $150 self-pay with a full lab panel included. A DOT physical is $99 with code EVOLVE. Pre-employment physicals are quoted by scope before scheduling, since employer requirements vary. Sports and school physicals are priced when you book — call (940) 257-2002 and we will tell you the price before your visit. Coverage for insured visits is verified free from your insurance card, photo ID, and date of birth, before you are seen.

Can one appointment cover both my annual physical and my DOT physical?

They are two separate exams with two separate purposes, so they are scheduled and documented separately. The annual physical is your health baseline with your clinician; the DOT physical follows the federal FMCSA checklist and ends in a medical examiner's certificate for your CDL. Some drivers book both for the same week, and results from your annual physical labs can help you walk into the DOT exam prepared — but one visit does not substitute for the other.

Does a sports physical replace my child's annual physical?

No. A sports physical is a focused screening: it checks whether it is safe for your child to play a specific sport, using the school or league form. It does not include the full exam, lab work, and development review of an annual physical. Many families do both — the annual physical for overall health, and the sports physical for the form the coach requires. Bring the school or league form with you to the sports visit.

Do I need an appointment for a physical, or can I walk in?

Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM, and same-day appointments are offered when the schedule allows. A physical includes lab work and paperwork, so booking ahead is the surest way to be seen at the time you want — especially for DOT physicals and pre-season sports physicals, when demand spikes. Book online or call (940) 257-2002.

What should I bring to my physical?

Bring your insurance card, a photo ID, and a list of your current medications — or the bottles themselves. Drivers should bring their previous medical card and any records related to conditions like blood pressure, diabetes, or sleep apnea. Students bring the school or league form; nursing and healthcare students bring their program's TB and titer requirement list. Our what-to-bring checklist covers each physical type in detail.

Sources

• Medicare.gov — Yearly "Wellness" visits (what the Annual Wellness Visit includes)
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — Medical certificates and physical qualifications for drivers
• University Interscholastic League (UIL) — Athletics forms, including the pre-participation physical evaluation form
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Testing for tuberculosis (blood test / QuantiFERON)

General education only: This guide describes how physicals generally work at Evolve Health. Your employer's, school's, or program's written requirements — and your own clinician's judgment at the visit — decide what your specific exam includes.