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Key Takeaways
- Preventive care and regular checkups help catch issues early, strengthen overall physical, mental and emotional well-being and support a longer, healthier life.
- Cost keeps many Americans from getting recommended care and postponing treatment, which often leads to additional health problems and higher expenses later on.
- Financing options like the CareCredit credit card can help make the expenses for routine preventive care more manageable.
Regular visits to your healthcare providers for primary and preventive care can play a key role in keeping yourself healthy. Yet according to data in a study from Synchrony Health & Wellness, more than 1 in 4 Americans surveyed has delayed or ignored recommended medical procedures due to cost, with 46% reporting that postponing medical care led to additional health issues.1
Preventive healthcare isn't just about avoiding diseases — it's about optimizing your health and welfare with a holistic approach to making informed choices for your physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Read on for more about how preventive healthcare can support your approach to your health, improve health outcomes and potentially lower your overall healthcare costs.
What Is Preventive Healthcare?
Preventive healthcare is a proactive approach that aims to screen and detect health issues in adults and children early when they're most treatable, increase positive outcomes when it comes to disease and disability and promote overall well-being. Annual check-ups with a primary care provider can help you establish a baseline for your health and identify potential health issues based on your medical history, lifestyle, and family history. Routine preventive care is a key factor in living a longer, healthier life.
Preventive healthcare can encompass a range of measures, including regular checkups and screenings, vaccinations, disease assessment, counseling and education.
Preventive Care Screenings, Tests and Services for Adults
Most health insurance plans, including private health insurance plans and plans purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace, must cover certain preventive services with no copayments.2 Health plans purchased through Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) must also cover certain types of preventive care with no cost to you.3
Preventive services that are commonly covered by most health insurance plans include blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol tests, as well as cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies. Healthy pregnancy counseling and well-baby visits are usually covered, as well as routine vaccinations. Depression screenings and counseling on topics that include quitting smoking, reducing alcohol use, losing weight and healthy eating are typically covered as well.
It’s important to talk to your provider about how to stay healthy. The United States Preventive Services Task Force web tool recommends the following screenings:4
| Type of screening/test | Who should get one? |
|---|---|
| Blood pressure screening | Initial screening in childhood or adolescence then annually as an adult. |
| Blood sugar screening (pre-diabetes) | Adults 35+ who are overweight or obese |
| Prevention of Cardiovascular disease (CVD) | Adults aged 40 to 75 who are prone to heart disease should be screened for high cholesterol |
| Depression screening | Children, teens and adults |
| Colorectal cancer screening | Adults aged 50 to 75 years; may start as early as 45 with family history |
| Breast cancer screening | Women 35 to 75 should have a screening mammogram every two years |
| Cervical cancer screening | Women starting at age 21 (may start younger based on personal health factors) |
| Genetic testing for breast cancer and other cancers | Testing at 18 with personal or family history of BRCA-related cancer |
| HIV screening | Annually or as needed for sexually active people; baseline testing at 18 |
| Sexually transmitted infection screening | Annually or as needed for sexually active people |
| Osteoporosis screening | Women who are postmenopausal and anyone with low calcium or propensity for fractures |
Preventive Healthcare for Children
Preventive healthcare for children is critical to ensure their healthy growth and development and lays the foundation for a lifetime of well-being.
Most insurance plans cover preventive healthcare for children in full, and preventive care under CHIP is always covered.3
Some of the preventive care services for children include:
- Well-child checkups. Well-child visits typically happen every few months in the first year or two of your child's life, then annually after that. Their healthcare provider will monitor their growth and development and administer routine immunizations and other screenings.
- Vaccinations. Routine vaccines for polio, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP); measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and varicella (chickenpox) are covered as preventive care.
- Behavioral and mental health screenings. Your child's pediatrician will routinely screen for symptoms of autism, depression or other developmental delays.
The preventive healthcare described above are just a few of the services available for children that are typically covered by most insurance plans and CHIP.3 Talk with your child's pediatrician about comprehensive preventive care as your child grows.
Annual Check-Ups
Yearly wellness visits with your primary care physician may include a head-to-toe physical, an assessment and discussion about your overall health. The age at which your healthcare provider begins screenings for certain conditions depends on your family history, lifestyle and other factors.
Generally, adults are advised to see their healthcare provider(s) annually to screen their vision and hearing, update their immunizations and review any medications or lifestyle changes. Scheduling an annual visit with a dermatologist for a comprehensive skin exam to screen for early signs of skin cancer or other skin conditions is also recommended. Additionally, it’s advised seeing your dentist every six months for regular cleanings and to assess possible dental conditions like gum disease or tooth decay.
How Much Does Preventive Care Cost?
If you’re insured, check your plan’s preventive care benefits — many of these vaccines are covered at no cost when administered by an in-network provider.5
However, some checkups or vaccinations may still involve out-of-pocket expenses depending on your coverage, provider and location. The average cost* for common vaccination costs if paying without insurance are as follows:6
| Type of preventive care | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Annual checkup | $126 |
| Flu vaccination | $20 |
| Shingles vaccination | $360 |
| Pneumococcal vaccination | $202 |
| Tdap or Td booster | $71 |
| HPV vaccination (human papillomavirus) | $287 |
| COVID-19 vaccination | $151 |
Why Preventive Healthcare Is Important
Preventive healthcare not only promotes overall well-being but also encompasses a range of measures aimed at preventing diseases. If your family history includes chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes or osteoporosis, your chances of developing the disease itself may be higher.
With regular screenings, checkups and lifestyle modifications and management, your healthcare provider can help you reduce the likelihood of developing these conditions or catching them early when they're easier to treat, which can lead to better outcomes overall.
Preventive Health Can Lower Lifetime Care Costs
Preventive health can help identify issues, reduce future complications and help avoid emergency care over time, which can be costly. Investing in prevention early on can lower total healthcare spending across a person’s lifetime.
This is illustrated in the Lifetime of Healthcare Costs research study by Synchrony, which found that an insured American with an employer-sponsored health plan can expect to spend more than $320,000, including insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, over the course of their adult lifetime.1 Additionally, the report found that yearly healthcare costs are nearly 1.5 times higher than what most respondents estimate them to be.1 Respondents guessed that they spent about $850 per year in healthcare costs, when in reality, the reported yearly total was $2,100.**
Preventive care is a cost-effective approach that can lower healthcare spending in both the short and long term. By preventing or delaying the onset of chronic diseases, preventive care can reduce the need for hospitalizations, emergency room visits, surgeries, expensive medications or other long-term care that can incur significant medical expenses.
Regular wellness visits and screenings can lead to early disease detection and timely treatment, leading to better patient outcomes overall.
Managing Health and Wellness Costs With the CareCredit Credit Card
If you are looking for an option to help manage your health and wellness costs, consider financing with the CareCredit credit card. The CareCredit credit card can help you pay for the care you want and need and make payments easy to manage.*** Use our Acceptance Locator to find a provider near you that accepts CareCredit. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts and videos.
Your CareCredit credit card can be used in so many ways within the CareCredit network including vision, dentistry, cosmetic, pet care, hearing, health systems, dermatology, pharmacy purchases and spa treatments. How will you invest in your health and wellness next?
Expert Reviewer
Pamela Cagle, R.N.
Pamela Cagle, R.N., has extensive experience in a range of clinical settings, including ER, surgical and cardiovascular. For the past decade, she has leveraged her nursing experience in writing for health and technology publications such as AARP, VKTR, National Council on Aging and others. She is passionate about blending her medical and storytelling expertise to bring authenticity to health and wellness topics.
Author Bio
Anne-Marie Kennedy is a freelance writer with more than 20 years of experience covering health and wellness, personal finance and real estate/investing.
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