Unfortunately, this is not always black and white. The screenings mentioned above set criteria that you must meet in order for the screening to be covered. Examples of this criteria include age, gender, family history, tobacco use, diet, and many more factors.
To make things more complicated, each condition has different criteria (different age ranges, # of family members that had the condition) due to their different origins. So, you need to be able to remember the criteria for blood work, blood pressure, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, mental health screenings, as well as some more….that’s a lot to ask, no?
Let me add another layer to this equation. On top of the conditions having different factors required for screenings, not all health plans follow the same screening criteria so you need to also know the criteria specific to your insurance…WOOF.
Don’t worry, we make it easier for you in the next section!