Which Preventive Exams are Covered and Which Are Not?
Isabella Cannon
| 3 min read
Isabella Cannon is a 2024 Corporate Communications intern for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. She currently attends Eastern Michigan University as a public relations and marketing student.
While preventative exams are often routine, they are extremely important for people of all ages.
Preventative exams help you and your physician detect health problems at earlier stages and can aid in preventing serious and costly medical conditions down the road.
What is or is not considered a preventive exam?
Unlike a diagnostic exam, when the physician performing the exam is looking for something specific or checking on an existing illness or injury, a preventative exam involves routine processes that check your overall health such as:
- Check your weight, height, temperature, blood pressure and pulse
- Listen to your heart and lungs
- Check your ears, eyes, throat, skin and abdomen
- Certain blood tests to check such things as cholesterol or blood sugar
These exams are recommended for all patients, as they are often useful in spotting any potential areas for lifestyle improvement and are the first step towards diagnosing a condition you might not be aware of.
Common examples of preventive health exams, include but are not limited to:
- Annual physicals
- Mammogram (once per year after age 40)
- Colonoscopy (once every 10 years after age 50)
- Annual vaccinations
An office visit that is not considered a preventative exam includes:
- Discussing or getting treatment for a specific health concern, condition or injury
- Lab work, X-rays or additional tests related to a specific health concern, condition or injury
Screenings, tests and other preventive care services that are covered
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is proud to offer a wide variety of preventative care tests, screenings, and services to members.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of the services we currently provide and cover:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
- Alcohol misuse screening and counseling
- Annual wellness visit
- Cardiovascular disease screening
- Cardiovascular disease behavioral therapy
- Cervical and vaginal cancer screening
- Colorectal cancer screenings
- Depression screening
- Diabetes screening
- Flu shot
- Hepatitis B, or HPB, infection screening
- Hepatitis B shot
- Hepatitis C screening test
- HIV screening
- Lung cancer screening
- Mammogram screening
- Obesity screening and counseling
- Pneumococcal shot
- Prostate cancer screening (blood test)
- Sexually transmitted infections screening
- Tobacco use cessation counseling $0 Up to 8 visits per year if qualified
How to talk to your doctor about preventive exams and screening
Now that you know what's covered, ask your doctor at your next check-up when you should start preventative exams based on your age, gender, and family health history. Your doctor can help you take steps to prevent certain health conditions and chronic diseases or catch them early when they're easier to treat.
