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 aged 65-75 with a history of smoking
  • Alcohol Misuse Screening & Counseling
  • Anemia Screening – up to age 21
  • Aspirin Use
    • Adults aged 50-59
    • For the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer in adults who have a 10% or greater 10-year cardiovascular risk
    • If ordered by physician and a prescription is received from the provider
    • Prescription filled using pharmacy benefit
  • Blood Pressure Screening — This is part of a preventive care wellness exam or office visit
  • Cholesterol Screening (Lipid Disorder) – Ages 20-75
  • 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 – ages 40-70
  • Diet Counseling and Obesity Screening (Screening and Counseling) for adults with risk factors
  • Hearing testing – up to age 21
  • Hepatitis B Screening – up to age 75
  • Hepatitis C Screening – ages 18-79
  • HIV screening – up to age 65
  • Latent Tuberculosis Infection Testing and Office Visit
  • Lead screening – up to age 21
  • Lung Cancer Screening – ages 55-75
  • Obesity Screening and Counseling, including nutritional therapy – up to age 75
  • Physician Wellness Visit
  • Prostate Cancer Screening — Men ages 40 and older
  • Skin Cancer Prevention Counseling – up to age 24
  • Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Prevention Counseling & Screening – includes Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis
  • Tobacco Use Screening, Counseling & Interventions
  • Tuberculin Testing (TB skin test) – up to age 21
  • Syphilis screening
  • Vaccinations/Immunizations (includes Immunization administration):
    • 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)
    • Varicella/Chicken Pox (VAR)
    • Zoster/Shingles (HZV/ZVL, RZV)
  • 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 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:
    • Anemia Screening
    • Bacteriuria Screening
    • Gestational Diabetes (during and after pregnancy)
    • Hepatitis B Screening
    • Rh Incompatibility Screening
    • Rubella Screening
    • Prenatal office visits
    • Folic Acid
      • If ordered by physician and a prescription is received from the provider
      • Prescription filled using pharmacy benefit
      • Pregnant females or of child-bearing age
    • 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.
  • Well woman 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, 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.
  • Dental caries (fluoride application) – ages 0-5
  • Depression Screening– ages 12 and older
  • Dyslipidemia Screening —ages 9 – 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
  • 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)
      • Diptheria, 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 any age
    • Pneumococcal (pneumonia)– includes:
      • pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, 23-valent (PPSV23)
      • pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, 13-valent (PCV13)
    • Rotavirus (RV1, RV5)
    • Varicella/Chicken Pox (VAR)
  • Iron Supplements
    • If ordered by physician and a prescription is received from the provider
    • Prescription filled using pharmacy benefit
  • Lead Poisoning Screening
  • Obesity Screening and Counseling, including nutritional therapy
  • Tobacco Use Screening, Counseling & Interventions – ages 11 and up
  • Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Prevention Counseling & Screening – includes Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis
  • Tuberculin Testing (TB skin test)
  • Skin Cancer Prevention Counseling
  • Vision Screening

Newborn Screening (up to age 1):

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

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.