When you get sick, then you of course want to go to the doctor and receive the necessary care. However, health and wellness are not things that only need attention temporarily. Instead, they require lifelong commitment. Keeping yourself healthy in the future means taking care of your health today, and physicians and other health care providers offer a myriad of services designed to help you keep track of your wellness, learn more about staying healthy and treat or prevent developing issues. These are preventive health services, and in many cases, they are free.

Health insurance companies understand how important it is for everyone to stay healthy. Someone who takes care of themselves today are more likely to have lower health care expenses tomorrow, and that’s a major benefit to both the insurer and the patient.

Consider some of the preventive health care services that your insurer might offer, and don’t hesitate to take advantage of them.

Understanding Preventive Health Services

When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, it required nearly all health insurers to cover a certain list of care services at full cost. These are preventive services, and they allow the policyholder to receive essential care that everyone needs as part of their ongoing health maintenance.

Preventive services are considered essential because they will help you catch small problems before they have a problem to get worse. Because they are covered at full cost, you will pay no cost for them.

Under ACA rules, the following preventive services are covered for all people under all health plans:

• Blood pressure & cholesterol screenings
• Depression screening
• Diabetes screenings
• Diet counseling & obesity screenings
• HIV screenings & sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention counseling
• Vaccinations, including an annual flu shot
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (“AAA”) screening
• Alcohol misuse screening and counseling
• Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease
• Colorectal cancer screening for adults 50 to 75
• Tobacco use screening

Additionally, certain specific services are provided for women include osteoporosis screenings, mammography testing and contraceptive services. Furthermore, children can receive covered services like vision & hearing screenings, developmental screenings, autism screenings and childhood vaccinations.

You can choose to receive these services either as part of your regular checkup or receive them in specific appointments. They will still be free. However, you might still have to pay for certain costs of care if you receive other services during your appointment.

Health insurers want to make it easy for you to protect yourself and stay healthy, which is why they continue to offer preventive care services at no cost to the policyholder. If you’re curious about the expansive benefits offered by your plan, just call us today.

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