Preventive care visits
Preventive care visits are intended to help prevent illnesses by evaluating your current state of health and discussing how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you schedule a preventive care visit and ask your doctor
about a specific health concern or condition, your doctor may bill you for the visit. You should plan to schedule your annual preventive care visit at least two months in advance to accommodate a potentially busy doctor’s office.
Preventive vaccines
Protect yourself from common illnesses by staying up to date on your vaccines. Most health insurance covers vaccines for the flu, chickenpox, hepatitis A and B, MMR, HPV, DPT, polio and more. Your primary care doctor will
recommend the necessary vaccines for your age and risks.
Prenatal checkups
Expectant mothers have access to many different pregnancy benefits including free prenatal checkups, sexually transmitted infection (STI) screenings, anemia and gestational diabetes screenings.
Well-baby and well-child exams
Your child has coverage for all wellness exams, which will address their immunization schedule and measure their growth, nourishment and development. Children typically receive wellness exams on the following
schedule:
- Directly after birth
- 1 week old
- 1 month old
- 2 months old
- 4 months old
- Every 3 months from age 6 months to 18 months old
- 2 years old
- 2 1/2 years old
- Once per year from age 3 years through 18 years old
Mental health and substance abuse screening
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Most health insurance covers mental health and substance abuse preventive care, allowing you to access different types of care such
as depression screenings, alcohol misuse screenings and counseling, tobacco use counseling, and domestic abuse counseling. Talk to your primary care doctor about these services.
Annual well-woman exam
Every year, women can visit their OBGYN or primary care doctor for a well-woman exam without a referral. This may also be called a wellness visit. This visit is a good time to discuss any concerns you may have about
your period, birth control, HPV and/or Pap tests, breast exams or mammograms.
Reproductive health benefits
Most health plans offer reproductive health benefits like free contraception, counseling and STI screenings for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Cancer prevention benefits
The best way to treat cancer is with early detection. Cancer screenings offer opportunities for earlier detection and prevention. Your primary care doctor might recommend one of several preventive screenings for
breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and skin cancer counseling.
Heart health benefits
You can keep your heart healthy with covered blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, as well as aspirin coverage.
For the best member experience, please check your member handbook (also called your Evidence of Coverage or EOC) to verify what is covered under your specific plan. If you’re enrolled in benefits with Sharp Health Plan, you can access your EOC by logging in to your Sharp Health Plan online account.
Sharp Health Plan also offers additional preventive care resources. Download convenient preventive care checklists for your next appointment and learn more about available services.