Preventative Health Care

Preventative Health Care

When we think of health insurance we think what we will have if we do get sick. Many people take precautions to prevent future health problems by visiting the doctor regularly and taking care of themselves.

Here’s a message from Aetna about health care

When it comes to health care, however, many people are not taking advantage of opportunities to prevent their future health problems.  A recent study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides some sobering results.  For example, the study showed that:

• Only 28% of adults under 65 years old had received the vaccine to prevent influenza (flu).
• Less than 50% of people with known heart disease were on medications recommended to prevent another heart attack.
• About one third of adults age 50 to 75 were not up to date in screenings for colo rectal cancer – even though it’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths in our country.

Preventive care costs and the impact of the PPACA
Are you wondering how an insurance plan covers preventive health care costs?  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that became law in March, 2010, requires costs for certain preventive health care services to be covered by insurance companies and self-insured employers.  For more information on the impact of the PPACA on the coverage of preventive care, visit the HealthCare Reform section of www.aetna.com.        

Having proper health insurance can help give you preventative services that can help down the road.