Preventive
and routine
care is care
that helps
prevent
medical
problems or
find them
before they
become
serious. One
of the best
things you
can do for
your medical
is to use
these
services.
What
Preventive
Care Do I
Need?
Ask your
doctor which
routine
exams and
tests you
should have
and how
often you
should get
them. Your
plan may
have a
schedule for
these
visits. If
that
schedule
does not
work for
your medical
needs, talk
to your
doctor about
changing it.
Preventive
Care Can
Include
-
Prenatal
care
(care
during
pregnancy)
-
Newborn
blood
tests
-
Well-baby
and
well-child
visits,
and
immunizations
-
Screening
for
cancer,
high
cholesterol,
and
diabetes
-
Testing
for STDs
(sexually
transmitted
diseases),
HIV, and
hepatitis
B and C
-
Prostate
exams
for men
-
Breast
exams,
pelvic
exams,
and
mammograms
for
women
-
Hearing
tests
and eye
exams
for
children
up to
age 16.
Weight
Management
We now know
that being
overweight
or obese is
an important
medical
issue. It
can lead to
heart
disease,
diabetes,
arthritis,
some
cancers, and
many other
serious
medical
problems.
Ask your
doctor and
your medical
plan about
programs for
people with
weight
problems.
Some plans
offer weight
management
classes and
discounts on
medical club
memberships
and diet
programs.
There are
also on-line
support
programs.
Some plans
may even pay
you money to
complete a
weight
management
program. To
find out if
you are
overweight,
you can
check your
Body Mass
Index
(BMI).
Help to Stop
Smoking
Smoking and
second-hand
smoke can
cause
cancer,
heart
disease,
strokes, and
other
serious
medical
problems.
Quitting is
not easy,
but more and
more medical
plans are
offering
services to
help you.
Ask your
doctor and
your medical
plan about
stop-smoking
classes. Ask
if your plan
covers
prescription
drugs to
help you
stop
smoking. For
help to stop
smoking, you
can also
call
California
Smokers'
Helpline (www.californiasmokershelpline.org)
at
1-800-662-8887.
Resources
Agency
for
Medicalcare
Research and
Quality
Government
agency with
Personal
Medical
Guides to
routine care
1-800-358-9295
(publications
only)
www.ahrq.gov
(Spanish)
California
Smoker's
Helpline
Telephone
and online
help to stop
smoking
1-800-662-8887
(many
languages)
www.californiasmokershelpline.org
Lab Tests
Online
Information
about lab
tests
www.labtestsonline.org
National
Immunization
Hotline
Government
agency with
a guide to
vaccines for
children and
adults
1-800-232-2522
(Spanish)
1-888-232-6348
(TTY)
www.cdc.gov/nip
(Spanish)
Obesity
and
Overweight
Information
on obesity
and chart to
check Body
Mass Index
(BMI)
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm
