Preventive care visits are replacing annual physicals by allowing your provider to establish a schedule for ongoing preventive care based on your specific risk factors, age, and gender.
Preventive care visits should include the following:
Cholesterol Testing
You should have your cholesterol checked every five years. If you are overweight or have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of heart disease, your provider may want to check your cholesterol more often.
Blood Pressure Testing
Your blood pressure will be checked each time you visit your provider, but you should never go more than two years without having it measured. Tell your provider if you have a personal or family history of high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, or stroke or diabetes.
Mammograms
If you are a woman age 40 or older, you should have a mammogram (a breast x-ray) yearly (or as often as your provider suggests). If you're at high risk for breast cancer, talk with your provider about when to start having mammograms.
Pap Tests and Pelvic Exams
If you are a woman age 18 or older, you should have a pelvic exam every year. Tell your provider if you have a family history of cervical cancer. If you're at high risk for cervical cancer, talk with your provider about when to start having Pap tests.
Sigmoidoscopy, Colonoscopy, and Stool Exams for Blood
If you are age 50 or older, you should have a stool exam to check for blood every year. You should also have a sigmoidoscopy every five years or a colonoscopy every ten years. The sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy tests check the lower section of the large bowel for things that are not normal.
Healthy Lifestyle Counseling
Talk with your provider about regular exercise, diet, accident prevention, alcohol, medications, immunizations, and quitting smoking. For more information about your preventive care benefits, please refer to your member materials.
For more information about basic preventive care, please visit the Preventive Health Online Center.
