WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
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 costs you nothing.1
Screenings save lives
All Medicare members are eligible for a Medicare yearly “Wellness” visit — an annual opportunity to check in on your health with screenings and a personalized health plan. Wellness visits are designed specifically for your age, gender and health needs and generally include height, weight and blood pressure checks, a health risk assessment, updates to your prevention plan, medication review, health advice, advance care planning, and cognitive assessments.
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 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
Preventive versus diagnostic — 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 — diagnostic tests are covered according to your plan’s benefits, which may include a deductible and copay or coinsurance.
Small steps to make a big difference
- Schedule your Medicare yearly “Wellness” visit if you haven’t already done so. It’s your opportunity to check in on your health with screenings and a personalized health plan. And best of all, Medicare covers 100% of the cost.1
- Review what’s covered in a Medicare yearly “Wellness” visit.
- Get up to speed on the CDC’s vaccine recommendations.
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. If you have questions about coverage, contact Anthem Health Guide at (844) 437-0486 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, except holidays) or view the plan documents.
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.