Get Preventive Health Checklist Legal's Final 5 30 07 2.doc

Preventive care helps detect or prevent serious diseases and medical problems before they can become major. Annual check-ups, immunizations, and flu shots, as well as certain tests and screenings, are a few examples of preventive care. This may also be called routine care.

Answer: If the physician orders lab work during a preventive care visit some of the tests may be covered as preventive care, such as a cholesterol screening. However, other blood chemistry panels like iron, kidney or liver function and urinalysis, would not be covered as preventive care.

Preventive care is a cornerstone of family medicine. Routine visits for patients of all ages are scheduled to promote wellness and disease prevention. These visits can also include additional services, such as vaccinations, screening laboratory services, counseling and even management of medical problems.

A preventive health checkup usually comprises a combination of various different tests such as a blood sugar test, lipid profile test, kidney test, eye exam, liver test, thyroid test, and more.

A preventive visit is a yearly appointment intended to prevent illnesses and detect health concerns early, before symptoms are noticeable. Depending on your specific insurance plan, this type of visit may be called an annual physical, well-child exam, Medicare wellness exam or welcome to Medicare visit.

If you schedule a preventive care visit and ask your doctor about a specific health concern or condition, your clinic may code and bill the appointment as an office visit. If you want to know about costs, ask your doctor for an estimate of fees before you visit.

Examples of preventive care include annual physicals or lab visits with a primary doctor. It may also include vaccinations and flu shots or cancer screenings.

Essential Health Benefits: The ACA mandates that all insurance plans sold on the individual and small group markets cover essential health benefits. These benefits include services like hospitalization, prescription drugs, maternity care, mental health treatment, and preventive care.

A federal judge in Texas said Thursday that some Affordable Care Act mandates cannot be enforced nationwide, including those that require insurers to cover a wide array of preventive care services at no cost to the patient, including some cancer, heart and STD screenings, and tobacco programs.