Preventive Care
Routine healthcare services designed to prevent illness or detect problems early, often covered before meeting your deductible.
What is Preventive Care?
Preventive care includes routine services designed to prevent illness or catch health problems early when they're easier to treat. Under the Affordable Care Act, most health plans must cover preventive services without cost-sharing - meaning no copay, coinsurance, or deductible.
Common preventive services include annual physicals, vaccinations, cancer screenings (mammograms, colonoscopies), blood pressure and cholesterol checks, and well-child visits. The specific services covered depend on factors like age, sex, and risk factors.
For HDHP/HSA purposes, preventive care is especially important because it's covered before you meet your deductible. This makes HDHPs more practical - you can still get routine care for free while building your HSA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is preventive care free on all plans?
Most plans must cover certain preventive services at 100% with in-network providers. You may have costs for diagnostic follow-up or out-of-network providers.
What's the difference between preventive and diagnostic care?
Preventive care is routine screening when you have no symptoms. Diagnostic care investigates a problem or symptom and may have cost-sharing.
Are HDHPs required to cover preventive care before the deductible?
Yes. To qualify as an HSA-eligible HDHP, the plan must cover preventive care without requiring you to meet your deductible first.
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