Preventive services, such as vaccines and screenings, can help you avoid certain diseases and catch others in their early stages, to limit the harm they can cause. Wellness services, such as weight management and stress reduction, can help you adopt a healthy lifestyle. To find out what preventive and wellness services are recommended for you or your family, talk to your doctor and see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Prevention Checklist.
Federal law requires most health insurance plans to provide certain preventive services at no cost to you. The services are categorized as being for all adults, women, or children. When using these services, remember these points:
- Get the service from a doctor or other provider in your health plan’s network.
- Related services (such as a biopsy performed as a result of a screening test) may not be free.
- Some older plans may be exempt from the law.
- The law doesn’t require health plans to cover every kind of preventive service for free, just the specified ones.
- If you have a plan that does NOT offer wellness and preventative care, you can add it as a standalone service for an affordable price.