Preventive Care

 The Affordable Care Act (ACA) defines a specific list of preventive care services that are covered at no cost to you when you use an in-network provider. All Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative health plans include coverage for these no-cost-share preventive care benefits and the services are billed appropriately. We encourage members to use these services to help maintain optimal health.

 

Understand Your Coverage to Maximize Your Benefits.

Deciding which services to receive is between you and your doctor. Our job is to help you understand your benefits.

 

Understanding the difference between “no-cost-share preventive care” (required under the ACA) and other services considered preventive by you or your doctor is important. Copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles apply to covered services that are not on the ACA-defined list. Cost sharing also applies to services when the purpose is diagnostic care.

 

    • Preventive care applies when you don’t have any history, symptoms, or other health concerns for which the testing or screening is being done.
    • Diagnostic care applies when you do have a history, symptoms, or risk factors of a health concern. Tests and screenings become “diagnostic” under these circumstances because the doctor is trying to diagnose or monitor a health condition. Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles apply to covered diagnostic services.

Preventive Care versus Diagnostic Care 

No-Cost-Share Preventive Care
ACA Required Coverage

Preventive care applies when you are symptom free and have no reason to believe you might be unhealthy.

 

    • Often part of a routine physical or checkup.
    • Limited to specific services, screening tests, and medications.
    • Must be received from in-network providers.

 

See lists below

$0 Out-of-Pocket Cost when received from an in-network provider and billed appropriately

Diagnostic Care

Diagnostic care applies when you have symptoms or risk factors that your doctor uses to diagnose a condition.

 

    • May be recommended as part of a routine physical or checkup.
    • Can include any test, even follow up mammograms or colonoscopies.

 

 

Out-of-Pocket Costs Apply copayments (copay), coinsurance, and deductible

No-Cost-Share Preventive Services Recommended for Adults*

  • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (one-time) Screening – men ages 65-75 with diagnosis of Nicotine Dependency.
  • Alcohol Misuse Screening & Counseling
  • Anemia Screening – up to age 21
  • Cholesterol (Lipid Disorder) Screening —age 40-75
  • Colorectal Cancer Screening –Ages 45-75
    • Includes screening colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and Cologuard®
  • Counseling to Promote a Healthy Diet and Physical Activity for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention – for adults with cardiovascular risk factors
  • Dyslipidemia Screening – up to age 21
  • Depression Screening
  • Diabetes Type 2 Screening
  • Hearing Testing – up to age 21
  • Hepatitis B Screening
  • Hepatitis C Screening – ages 50-75
  • HIV screening – up to age 65
  • HIV Infection: Acquisition of HIV prevention
  • Latent Tuberculosis Infection Testing and Office Visit
  • Lung Cancer Screening – ages 50-80
  • Obesity Screening and Counseling (including nutritional therapy)
  • Physician Wellness Visit
  • Skin Cancer Prevention Counseling – up to age 24
  • Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Prevention Counseling & Screening
    • includes Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis
  • Tobacco Use Screening, Counseling & Interventions 
  • Tuberculin Testing (TB skin test)
  • Vaccinations/Immunizations (includes Immunization administration): 
    • Coronavirus Disease [Covid-19] Vaccine
    • Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus – includes:
    • Tetanus and Diphtheria (Td)
    • Tetanus, diphtheria toxoids and acellular Pertussis (Tdap)
    • Diphtheria, tetanus an acellular Pertussis, hepB, and polio inactive (DTaP-HepB-IPV)
    • Diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, acellular pertussis, haemophilus influenza B, and polio
    • inactive (DTap-IPV/Hib)
    • Hepatitis A (HepA, HepA-HepB)
    • Hepatitis B (HepB, HepA-HepB , Hib-HepB)
    • Haemophilus influenza B (Hib, Hib-HepB)
    • Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) – up to age 26; special exceptions may be granted up to age 45 for at risk individuals
    • Influenza (seasonal flu)
    • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
    • Meningococcal (MenB, MenB-4C, MenB-FHbp, MPSV4, MCV4, MenACWY-CRM)
    • Pneumococcal (pneumonia) includes:
      • Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, 23-valent (PPSV23)
      • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, 13-valent (PCV13)
    • Polio (IPV)
    • Rotavirus (RV1, RV5)
    • RSV – age 60 and up or with if billed with a pregnancy diagnosis
    • Varicella/Chicken Pox (VAR)
    • Zoster/Shingles (HZV/ZVL, RZV) – ages 50 and older; special exceptions may be granted for ages 19 and older for at risk individuals
  • Visual Acuity/Screening – up to age 21

If you have questions regarding specific service codes, please contact Member Services at 877.514.2442 for more information about how the services may apply to your benefits.

No-Cost-Share Preventive Services Recommended for Women*

  • Breast Cancer Screening & Counseling Services, including:
    • Breast Cancer Preventive Medication Counseling (Chemoprevention)
    • Breast Cancer Risk Evaluation and Genetic Counseling
    • Breast Cancer Risk Testing (BRCA 1 & 2)
    • Breast Cancer Mammography Screening – ages 40 and older
  • Cervical Cancer Screening (Pap Smear) – ages 21-65
  • Contraception & Sterilization
    • For medications, refer to on our Prescription Drug formulary. Prescriptions filled using the pharmacy benefit.
    • Benefit includes, but is not limited to, IUD insertion/removal, tubal ligation, diaphragm fitting, subdermal implant systems.
  • Domestic & Interpersonal Violence Screening & Counseling
    • Included in the code for a wellness visit.
  • Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) DNA Testing
  • Osteoporosis Screening (bone density) – ages 50 and older
  • Prenatal/Postnatal Screenings & Services:
    • Bacteriuria Screening
    • Breastfeeding Support & Counseling, including Lactation Classes
    • Breast Pumps (if ordered by a licensed professional after the birth of a child) –
      • Coverage is limited to one standard manual, simple breast pump or one basic single electric pump. A hospital-grade model is not covered
    • Folic Acid – pregnant females or of child-bearing age
        • If ordered by physician and a prescription is received from the
        • For medications, refer to on our Prescription Drug formulary. Prescriptions filled using the pharmacy benefit.
    • Gestational Diabetes (during and after pregnancy)
    • Hepatitis B Screening
    • Prenatal office visits
    • Rh Incompatibility Screening
    • RSV Immunization– if billed with a pregnancy diagnosis.
    • Rubella Screening
  • Well Visits

 

If you have questions regarding specific service codes, please contact Member Services at 877.514.2442 for more information about how the services may apply to your benefits.

No-Cost-Share Preventive Services Recommended for Children*

  • Physician Wellness Visit – includes well child, well baby, and psychosocial/behavioral assessments
  • Alcohol Misuse Screening & Counseling – ages 11 and older
  • Anemia Screening
  • Autism Screening – ages 1-2
  • Behavioral Assessments – included in the code for a wellness visit
  • Childhood Vaccinations/Immunizations (includes immunization administration):
    • Diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus includes:
      • Diphtheria and tetanus (DT) – ages 0-6
      • Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTap) – ages 0-6
      • Diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, acellular pertussis, and polio inactive (DTap-IPV) – ages 4-6
      • Diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, acellular pertussis, haemophilus influenza B, and polio inactive (DTap-IPV/Hib)
      • Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis, hepB, and polio inactive (DTaP-HepB-IPV)
      • Tetanus and diphtheria (Td)
      • Tetanus, diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis (Tdap)
    • Haemophilus influenza B (Hib, Hib-HepB)
    • Hepatitis A (HepA, HepA-HepB)
    • Hepatitis B (HepB, HepA-HepB , Hib-HepB)
    • Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) – ages 9-26
    • Polio (IPV)
    • Influenza (seasonal flu)
    • Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
    • Meningococcal (MenB, MenB-4C, MenB-FHbp, MPSV4, MCV4, MenACWY-CRM, Hib-MenCY)
      • Hib-MenCY – allowed ages 0-2
      • All others – allowed at any age
    • Pneumococcal (pneumonia) includes:
      • Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, 23-valent (PPSV23)
      • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, 13-valent (PCV13)
    • Rotavirus (RV1, RV5)
    • Varicella/Chicken Pox (VAR)
  • Dental caries (fluoride application) – ages 0-5
  • Depression Screening – ages 8 and up
  • Dyslipidemia Screening – ages 2-21
    • Dyslipidemia Risk Assessments for ages 2-16 are included in the code for a wellness visit
  • Gonorrhea Preventive Medication
  • Hearing Testing
  • HIV Screening – ages 15 and older
  • HIV Infection: Acquisition of HIV prevention
  • Iron Supplements – if ordered by physician and a prescription is received from the provider
  • Lead Poisoning Screening– ages 0-6
  • Obesity Screening and Counseling (including nutritional therapy)– ages 6 -18
  • Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Prevention Counseling & Screening
    • Includes Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis
  • Tobacco Use Screening, Counseling & Interventions – ages 11 and up
  • Skin Cancer Prevention Counseling
  • Sudden Cardiac Arrest – ages 11 and up
  • Vision Screening

Newborn Screening (up to age 1):

  • Hearing/Auditory Screening
  • Metabolic Screenings
  • Phenylketonuria (PKU) Screening
  • Sickle Cell Screening

If you have questions regarding specific service codes, please contact Member Services at 877.514.2442 for more information about how the services may apply to your benefits.

Click here to download a full printable list (PDF) of what may be no-cost-share preventive health services.

*Preventive health services are covered at 100% only when they are received from an in-network provider and billed appropriately.