Preventive Care Helps You Stay Healthier!

As we begin 2023, it is imperative to remember the importance of preventive care services. Preventive care can help you avoid potentially serious health conditions and/or obtain early diagnosis and treatment. Generally, the sooner your doctor can identify and treat a medical condition, the better the outcome. 

Most health plans, including the United Healthcare and Geisinger plans offered through the International Health Fund (IHF) provide 100% coverage for preventive health care services, without any cost to IHF participants. The IHF also includes coverage of all generic preventive medications recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) at no cost. To receive 100% coverage for services, members just need to receive preventive care services from an in-network provider. The IHF health plans also fully cover lab services (preventive and non-preventive) at Quest and LabCorp, and diagnostic imaging services at freestanding facilities.

Preventive care services recommendations vary based on age. For children, some recommendations include age-appropriate well-child examinations, hearing screening, vaccines and immunizations, and vision screening. For adults, recommendations may include wellness examinations, blood pressure screening at every wellness exam, cholesterol and diabetes screenings, colorectal cancer screening for adults age 45–75 years old, mammography screening, cervical cancer screening for women age 21–65 years old, as well as vaccines and immunizations.

Lung cancer screening is another important no-cost preventive care screening. This screening is recommended for individuals aged 50–80 years old with at least a 20-pack year smoking history. A 20-pack year is defined as smoking one pack per day for the last 20 years, or two packs per day for the last 10 years.

All preventive care screenings, including but not limited to those above, can help to identify any health issues before they become more serious.

To learn more about what preventive care screenings are recommended for you, you can visit: www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/preventive-care. With this site you can generate a checklist of recommended screenings that can then be discussed with your provider to determine what is appropriate for you.

UHC Tools and Resources

IHF participants have a host of resources available to them via the myUHC website. Members can register for their personalized website online at myuhc.com® as well as download the UnitedHealthcare® app. These digital tools are designed to help members understand their benefits and make informed health decisions. These tools include providing wellness and preventive screening recommendations, and also include:

• Find care and comparing costs for services from in-network providers.
• Get access to care from anywhere with Virtual Visits. With Virtual Visits a doctor can diagnose common conditions by phone or video 24/7. Virtual visits are covered under all IHF plans with a $5 copay.
• Locate freestanding facilities to take advantage of the IHF’s 100% coverage of diagnostic imaging services and outpatient surgery benefits.
• Find tailored recommendations regarding providers, products and services.
• Access claim details and health plan ID card.

For more information, plan participants can contact the Fund Office at 1-888-880-8222.