Preventive health care: How to avoid costly surprises
By The Associated Press
Experts offer the following tips for avoiding surprise medical bills for preventive care:
Call your insurance plan -- the 800-number on the back of your insurance card -- to find out whether the plan must comply with the Affordable Care Act. If your plan is "grandfathered," it's exempt from the law's requirement to pay for preventive care.
When scheduling an appointment or talking with your doctor, clarify that you're coming in for a covered preventive service and you don't expect to be charged. The doctor must be in your health plan's network.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
If you're hit with an unexpected bill, call the doctor's office and ask how the bill was submitted. Was it submitted as a preventive care service?
Complain to your state's insurance department if you believe you've been billed in error.
The following is a partial list of services that should be covered without copays or other cost-sharing by the patient:
_Alcohol misuse screening and counseling
_Aspirin use for men and women of certain ages
_Blood pressure screening for all adults
_Cholesterol screening for adults of certain ages or at higher risk
_Colorectal cancer screening for adults, starting at age 50
_Depression screening for adults
_Type 2 diabetes screening for adults with high blood pressure
_Diet counseling for adults at higher risk for chronic disease
_HIV screening for all adults at higher risk
_Flu shots and other recommended vaccines for adults and children
_Obesity screening and counseling for adults and children
_Tobacco use screening for all adults and cessation interventions for tobacco users
_Breast cancer mammography screenings every 1 to 2 years for women over 40
_Cervical cancer screening for sexually active women
_Folic acid supplements for women who may become pregnant
_Osteoporosis screening for women over age 60 depending on risk factors
_Autism screening for children at 18 and 24 months
_Depression screening for adolescents
_Fluoride supplements for children without fluoride in their water source
_Hearing screening for all newborns
___
Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)