Preventive Care
✔ Kids School Physicals
✔ Kids Immunizations
✔ Kids Dental Checkups
? Mom’s Annual Exam
? Dad’s Annual Physical
Most of us do a good job of making sure that the kids get their checkups, but what about the adults in your household? No one enjoys the part where we must get on the scale or have blood drawn for lab work. But we know that the accountability is good for us and we have heard the stories of someone who was diagnosed with an illness because of getting that annual physical and is very thankful for the early detection.
Just do it! The saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is very true when it comes to our health. Prevention is the goal. When an illness occurs, the cost of treatment, the duration of treatment, and the outcomes of the treatment are typically better with early diagnosis.
Most health insurance plans provide Preventive Care at no charge and waive the deductible. The Affordable Care Act standardized the Preventive Care procedures that are required for individual health insurance policies and those offered by small employers. The recommended procedures vary by age, gender, and health risk factors. As an example, a bone density scan is generally covered as a preventive care procedure for women age 60 and older. If your doctor recommends a bone density scan and you are not yet 60 years old, it will probably not be covered as preventive care. It may be approved as a diagnostic procedure that will be subject to the deductible on your policy.
Healthcare.gov is a good general resource. (www.healthcare.gov/coverage/what-marketplace-plans-cover/) You should review your health insurance plan for details on Preventive Care coverage in your policy.
Medicare also provides for Preventive Care. A “Welcome to Medicare” preventive care visit occurs within the first 12 months of enrolling in Medicare Part B. Then, an annual Wellness visit is covered each year. “Your Guide to Medicare’s Preventive Services” is a 32-page booklet that can be downloaded or ordered from Medicare.gov.
