Free Preventive Care

Your health plan is not just for when you or your family members are sick. It’s also important to understand and use the free preventive care that is available to you when you are well. This free  preventive care, like annual checkups and vaccinations, are available at no added cost to you. And more importantly, they can help you stay healthy.

Most health plans offer free preventive care without charging you a copay (the amount you pay at the time of service or billed) or coinsurance (a percentage that you pay of the cost of services) when you visit a doctor in your network. This is true even if you haven’t met your yearly deductible (the amount you pay before the health insurance company pays). Call your health plan directly to find out if the free preventive care listed below is available to you.

Free Preventive Care for Adults

1. Annual adult wellness exams.

2. Abdominal aortic aneurysm one-time screening for men of specified ages who have ever smoked.

3. Alcohol misuse screening and counseling.

4. Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease for men and women of certain ages.

5. Blood pressure screening.

6. Cholesterol screening.

7. Colorectal cancer screening for adults over 50.

8. Depression screening.

9. Diabetes (Type 2) screening for adults with high blood pressure.

10. Diet counseling for adults at higher risk for chronic disease.

11. HIV screening for everyone ages 15 to 65, and other ages at increased risk.

12. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including services needed before PrEP is started. These may include HIV testing, hepatitis B and C testing, creatinine testing and kidney function tests, pregnancy testing, STI screening and counseling, and adherence counseling to help ensure that PrEP is used as prescribed.

13. Immunization vaccines for adults, including:

    • COVID-19 (coronavirus), during the public health emergency.

    • Haemophilus influenzae type b.

    • Hepatitis A.

    • Hepatitis B.

    • Herpes Zoster (shingles).

    • Human papillomavirus (HPV).

    • Influenza (flu).

    • Measles, mumps and rubella.

    • Meningococcal disease.

    • Pneumococcal disease.

    • Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

    • Varicella (chickenpox; shingles). 

14. Obesity screening and counseling.

15. Sexually transmitted infection prevention counseling for adults at higher risk.

16. Syphilis screening for all adults at higher risk.

17. Tobacco use screening for all adults and cessation interventions for tobacco users.

18. Skin cancer counseling for persons at high risk.

19. Lung cancer screening for persons at high risk.

20. Hepatitis C screening for persons at high risk.

21. Falls in older adults, counseling, preventive medication and other interventions for community-dwelling adults age 65 and older who are at increased risk for falls.

22. Statin preventive medication for adults 40 to 75 at high risk.

Free Preventive Care for Women

1. Anemia screening for pregnant women.

2. Breast cancer genetic test counseling (BRCA) for women at higher risk.

3. Breast cancer mammography screenings every one to two years for women over 40.

4. Breast cancer chemoprevention counseling for women at higher risk.

5. Breastfeeding comprehensive support and counseling from trained providers, and access to breastfeeding supplies, for pregnant and nursing women.

6. Cervical cancer screening.

7. Chlamydia infection screening for younger women and other women at higher risk.

8. Contraception.

9. Domestic and interpersonal violence screening and counseling.

10. Folic acid supplements for women who may become pregnant.

11. Gestational diabetes screening for women 24 to 28 weeks pregnant and those at high risk of developing gestational diabetes.

12. Gonorrhea screening for all women at higher risk.

13. Hepatitis B screening for pregnant women at their first prenatal visit.

14. HIV screening and counseling.

15. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including services needed before PrEP is started. These may include HIV testing, hepatitis B and C testing, creatinine testing and kidney function tests, pregnancy testing, STI screening and counseling, and adherence counseling to help ensure that PrEP is used as prescribed.

16. Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test every three years for women with normal cytology results who are 30 or older.

17. Osteoporosis screening for women over age 60, depending on risk factors.

18. Rh incompatibility screening for all pregnant women and follow-up testing for women at higher risk.

19. Sexually transmitted infections counseling.

20. Syphilis screening for all pregnant women or other women at increased risk.

21. Tobacco use screening and interventions, including expanded counseling for pregnant tobacco users.

22. Urinary tract infection or other infection screening for pregnant women.

23. Well-woman visits.

24. Preeclampsia prevention and screening for pregnant women with high blood pressure.

25. Urinary incontinence screening for women yearly.

Free Preventive Care for Children

1. Wellness exams.

2. Autism screening for children at 18 and 24 months.

3. Behavioral assessments for children up to 17 years old.

4. Blood pressure screening for children up to 17 years old.

5. Cervical dysplasia screening for sexually active females.

6. Depression screening.

7. Developmental screening for children under age 3.

8. Dyslipidemia screening for children from 1 to 17 years old at higher risk of lipid disorders.

9. Fluoride chemoprevention supplements.

10. Gonorrhea preventive medication for the eyes of all newborns.

11. Hearing screening for all newborns.

12. Height, weight and body mass index measurements for children up to 17 years old.

13. Hematocrit or hemoglobin screening.

14. Hemoglobinopathies or sickle cell screening for newborns.

15. HIV screening for adolescents at higher risk.

16. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including services needed before PrEP is started. These may include HIV testing, hepatitis B and C testing, creatinine testing and kidney function tests, pregnancy testing, STI screening and counseling, and adherence counseling to help ensure that PrEP is used as prescribed.

17. Immunization vaccines for children from birth to age 18, including:

    • Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

    • Haemophilus influenzae type b.

    • Hepatitis A.

    • Hepatitis B.

    • Human papillomavirus (HPV).

    • Inactivated poliovirus.

    • Influenza (flu).

    • Measles, mumps, rubella.

    • Meningococcal disease.

    • Pneumococcal disease.

    • Rotavirus.

    • Varicella (chickenpox; shingles).

18. Iron supplements for children ages 6 to 12 months at risk for anemia.

19. Lead screening for children at risk of exposure.

20. Medical history for all children up to 17 years old throughout development.

21. Obesity screening and counseling.

22. Oral health risk assessment for young children up to 10 years old.

23. Phenylketonuria (PKU) screening for newborns.

24. Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention counseling and screening for adolescents at higher risk.

25. Tuberculin testing for children up to 17 years old at higher risk of tuberculosis.

26. Vision screening.

27. Tobacco use prevention for school-age children.

28. Alcohol, tobacco, and drug use assessments for adolescents.

29. Bilirubin concentration screening for newborns.

30. Blood screening for newborns.

31. Fluoride varnish for all infants and children as soon as teeth are present.

32. Hepatitis B screening for adolescents at high risk, including adolescents from countries with 2 percent or more Hepatitis B prevalence, and U.S.-born adolescents not vaccinated as infants and with at least one parent born in a region with 8 percent or more Hepatitis B prevalence: 11 to 17 years.

33. Hypothyroidism screening for newborns.

Watch

Free Preventive Care Through Covered California | YouTube