Why preventive care is important
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Preventive care isn’t just about avoiding illness. It’s about investing in a stronger, healthier future for yourself, your family and your community. Best of all, it’s included in your UC benefits.1
Screenings save lives
Preventive care usually includes a physical exam, blood pressure check, cholesterol and blood sugar tests, age- and gender-based cancer screenings (e.g., Pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies), and immunizations. Your provider may also ask about your mental health, lifestyle habits and family history. These visits are some of the best ways to stay ahead of potential health problems — or even prevent them altogether. Consider this:
- Cancer cases are rising — especially among women under 50. However, so are survival rates, thanks in part to early detection.2
- A routine mammogram can spot breast cancer before you notice any symptoms. When it’s caught early, the survival rate is about 99%.3
- A colonoscopy doesn’t just find colon cancer early; it can help prevent it by finding and removing precancerous growths.4
- Vaccines help your immune system recognize and fight disease, reducing your risk of infection. Vaccines are not always 100% effective, but they reduce your chances of getting seriously ill if you are infected. They go through strict safety testing, and their benefits far outweigh the low risk of side effects.5
Staying on top of preventive care is one of the simplest ways to protect your long-term health. If you’re due for a screening — or not sure when to get checked — talk to your health care provider.
Preventive care versus diagnostics — know how they’re covered
Preventive care includes routine checkups and screenings — like a mammogram or colonoscopy — to catch health issues early or prevent them altogether. These services are typically covered 100%.
Diagnostic care is used when you’re experiencing symptoms and your doctor needs to find out what’s wrong. The same tests may be used, but when done for diagnosis — like a mammogram for a breast lump or a colonoscopy for abdominal pain — they’re considered diagnostic and are covered according to your plan’s benefits. This means you may need to meet your plan’s deductible and pay a copay or coinsurance.
Small steps to make a big difference
- If you haven’t already done so this year, schedule your annual wellness visit with your regular health care provider. If you’re enrolled in an HMO, that’s your primary care physician (PCP). All UC health plans cover in-network preventive care at 100%.1
- Review the CDC’s preventive care screening guidelines and talk to your health care provider about what’s right for you.
- Get up to speed on the CDC’s vaccine recommendations.
Need help finding a provider or scheduling an appointment?
Your health plan’s member services can assist with locating a provider near you and with appointment scheduling.
1 You may have out-of-pocket costs for lab tests your provider orders if they are not considered preventive. Coverage for non-preventive (diagnostic) testing is based on your plan’s benefits.
2 American Cancer Society, Jan. 16, 2025, https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-news/cancer-incidence-rate-for-women-under-50-rises-above-mens.html.
3 American Cancer Society, Jan. 16, 2025, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/understanding-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/breast-cancer-survival-rates.html.
4 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 20, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/colorectal-cancer/prevention/index.html.
5 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed on July 18, 2025, https://www.hhs.gov/immunization/basics/safety/index.html.