Your annual preventive visit – What’s covered 100%, what isn’t
As an adult, your annual preventive visit (sometimes called annual wellness visit) serves as a check point to:
- Prevent illness, disease, and other health problems
- Promote a healthier, better-quality life
- Help lower your overall healthcare costs by catching illness, disease, and conditions before they become emergent, pricey issues
Know what’s included in your annual preventive visit
Your Blue KC health plan covers your annual preventive visit and associated preventive services at 100%*. That means Blue KC pays the full cost and you pay $0 out of pocket.
Included in the visit:
- Review of medical history and medications
- Vital signs – Blood pressure, pulse, temperature, height, weight
- Head-to-toe physical exam of the heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat, reflexes
- Immunizations
- Lab work, such as standard metabolic, blood cell count, and cholesterol
- Discussion of preventive screenings to detect potential health issues like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Your PCP can also assist in finding a provider.
See all preventive services covered at 100%**
Not included in your annual preventive visit
Not everything is considered a preventive service and, therefore, not covered 100%. For example, micronutrient tests, such as vitamin D or B12 tests, are not considered preventive.
Don’t hesitate to ask your PCP if the screenings, tests, and lab work they order are covered 100%. This also applies to evaluation of non-preventive health problems, like back pain, fatigue, or skin rash.
A good rule of thumb: If you’re uncertain if it’s covered, ask!
How to schedule your annual preventive visit
While you may be tempted, don’t neglect your annual preventive visit. In many ways, your ongoing health depends on it.
To schedule:
- Contact your PCP and say you want to schedule your annual preventive visit. If you don’t have a PCP, you can find one using the Find Care tool on your Blue KC member portal. Here’s how:
- Visit MyBlueKC.com
- Select Find Care in the left column
- Enter any of the following in the search bar: PCP, family medicine, internal medicine, general practice, pediatrician, or a specific provider name.
- Call Spira Care if you’re enrolled in a plan with exclusive access to Spira Care Centers. Call 913-29-SPIRA (77472) to schedule a visit at one of nine Spira Care Centers in the Kansas City metro area.***
*When you visit an in-network doctor or facility.
**Spira Care Centers may include more preventive services.
***Services must be completed at a Spira Care Center, and you must have a Blue KC plan with Spira Care.
