Taking advantage of your preventive care benefits is one of the most important things you can do to support your well-being. Preventive healthcare includes services like doctor checkups, routine screenings, flu shots, and recommended immunizations that can help prevent diseases and other health problems.
Annual checkups also allow your primary care physician to discover a health issue before it becomes a serious problem. Treatment is often more effective when an illness is detected early.
APWU Health Plan covers 100 percent of in-network preventive care
Making healthy lifestyle choices is the key to maintaining your health and well-being. At the same time, preventive care is essential. APWU Health Plan offers 100 percent coverage for wellness checkups when you stay in the network.
Coverage includes:
- Annual adult routine exams and immunizations
- Well-child exams and immunizations
- Recommended health screenings
- Preventive medications
Annual adult routine exams and immunizations
Seeing your doctor regularly means they get to know you and your health, making it easier to guide you to appropriate care. Your provider will review your vaccination history and may recommend updating certain vaccines.
Well-child exams and immunizations
Regular well-child visits allow a healthcare provider to track your child’s growth and development, find or prevent health issues, and answer questions. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a series of well-child visits in the first three years of your child’s life and annual visits for children four years and older.1
Vaccines given from birth to age six help protect kids from viruses and bacteria that cause serious diseases.
Recommended health screenings
Depending on your age, gender, and risk factors, your primary care provider may recommend one or more of the following tests:
High blood pressure screenings
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, often has no symptoms, so it’s important to be screened at your annual routine exam.
Diabetes screenings
The symptoms of diabetes are often hard to spot. If you have any risk factors for diabetes, talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested.
Cancer screenings
Regular cancer screenings may detect cancer early, before it has a chance to spread.2 Recommended screenings include:
- Cervical cancer screening starting at age 213
- Colorectal cancer screening starting at age 454
- Routine mammograms, including 3D mammograms, covered for members age 35 and older5
View a full list of recommended preventive care screenings.
Preventive medications
Preventive medicine promotes better health and may lower your risk factors for some chronic diseases. If your doctor or healthcare provider prescribes a preventive medication, and you fill the prescription at a network pharmacy, you’ll have no additional costs. Preventive medications include some over-the-counter vitamins, nicotine replacement medications, and low-dose aspirin.
Why you need an annual checkup even if you’re healthy
Annual checkups are important, even when you feel healthy. Your doctor can identify risk factors for diseases, share tips for healthy living, monitor your emotional health, and make sure your immunizations are up to date. Regular preventive care visits are part of maintaining a good relationship with your primary healthcare provider.
If you’re thinking about skipping your wellness visit this year, discover six reasons to schedule your annual checkup and get on a path toward healthier living. Before your appointment, review our annual physical exam checklist for adults.
Sources
1 Healthychildren.org, AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits
2 American Cancer Society, Find Cancer Early
3 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), Cervical Cancer: Screening
4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Screening for Colorectal Cancer
5 American Cancer Society, American Cancer Society Recommendations for the Early Detection of Cancer
Certain preventive care items and services, including immunizations, are provided as specified by applicable law, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), with no cost-sharing to you. These services may be based on your age and other health factors. Other routine services may be covered under your plan, and some plans may require copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles for these benefits. Always review your benefit plan documents to determine your specific coverage details.