You can do everything right – eat well, get your eight hours of sleep, practice yoga, even meditate – but if you aren’t keeping on top of your preventive health care, you’re missing a key part of taking care of yourself. Preventive care (routine care to maintain your health) is key to identifying risks for and diagnosing health conditions before they become a problem.

The take away: Because June is prevention month, we’re reminding everyone that preventive care is covered in full by BAE Systems health plans. So don’t put off the preventive care measures to ensure your good health. Whether that’s getting an annual checkup, a dental cleaning, or a vision exam, make your appointment now, and go! Read on for recommendations.

Stay healthy with preventive medical care

For adults

Adult preventive health care typically includes screenings for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as counseling for smoking cessation and balanced eating habits, plus immunizations against illnesses like the flu. It also involves education and counseling that can help you make positive lifestyle choices that protect your overall health and well-being.

The types of screenings recommended for you may vary based on your age and family history. The most common preventive screenings for adults are:

• Cancer: Breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer. These screenings are some of the most common cancers affecting men and women, and early detection can stop them from spreading or becoming more serious.
• Blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes: These screenings can help detect common metabolic conditions that can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes. If left untreated, they may lead to serious disease and premature death.
• Immunizations: We usually think of vaccines as something kids need, but adults need to stay on top of their vaccines as well. Recommended vaccines for adults include annual flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, and boosters for vaccines that you received in childhood that may have worn off.
• Counseling: Preventive counseling may be available to help you manage a chronic condition. It may also be used to help you make healthy lifestyle choices, to quit smoking if you smoke, or to screen for mental health conditions.

For children

Preventive care is for children, too, and helps protect them from serious illnesses and includes screenings to detect behavioral and health conditions. It can also help children stay healthy when they’re young and as they grow older.

Preventive health care for children is covered in full under most insurance plans and includes:

• Well-child visits: These visits happen every few months when your child is an infant (and yearly after that) and include measurements of your child’s growth and developmental milestones. Routine immunizations and screenings are also conducted during these visits.
• Vaccinations: Routine childhood vaccines include polio, hepatitis A and B, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), and chickenpox (varicella).
• Behavioral and mental health screenings: Pediatricians routinely screen children for conditions like autism, depression, and developmental delays.
• Blood tests: Various blood test screenings will be conducted throughout childhood, including tests that measure a newborn’s bilirubin levels, tests that look for signs of anemia, and tests that measure the amount of lead in your child’s blood.

How your preventive medical care is covered

Preventive care exams and tests are covered in full by our health plans and usually won’t cost you anything. If any conditions are identified, treatment for those conditions found in the early stages will likely save you money on health care costs in the future.

If you have a Cigna national plan through BAE Systems, you have:

• 100% coverage for preventive care (no deductible or out-of-pocket cost to you for annual physicals).
• 24/7 care through telehealth services that let you connect with a board-certified doctor through video chat without leaving your home or office.
• Covered treatment for minor illnesses or routine vaccinations through retail clinics or walk-in clinics, such as CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Target.
• Access to Cigna’s wellness programs, including personal health coaches and the Cigna 24-Hour Health Information Line, featuring live support.

Use telehealth for convenient care

No time to get to the doctor? If you have a Cigna national plan through BAE Systems, you have the ability to schedule a virtual wellness screening with a board-certified MDLIVE doctor by video or phone. A virtual wellness screening is covered as preventive care and:

• Allows you to conduct a preventive wellness checkup, including lab tests, with a board-certified MDLIVE doctor at your convenience.
• Requires preventive lab work to be completed before the scheduled wellness appointment.
• Includes the review of your health history, any risk factors, vital signs, and lab results.

If you have any questions about preventive care and what screenings you or your children should get, be sure to talk with your doctor or health care professional.

Good preventive dental care: More than brushing and flossing

You brush, you floss, you even avoid enamel erasers like soda. So do you really need to visit the dentist every year? The answer is yes! Even if you take good care of your teeth and gums at home, it’s still important to schedule, and keep, your once- or twice-a-year dentist appointments.

Dental problems like cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer don’t become visible or cause pain until they are in the more advanced stage, which makes treatment and follow-up more extensive. Even if you are healthy today, your risk for dental disease can change over time and can be affected by factors like illness, diet changes, new medication usage, and more.

If you have dental insurance through BAE Systems, you have access to Delta Dental’s free online risk assessment tool called LifeSmile® Score that helps you determine your level of risk for things like tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer. The tool prompts you with a series of questions about family history and current health status and habits, and analyzes your answers to reveal your oral health risk score. You can then print your results and share them with your dentist, who can factor those scores in with his or her clinical exam and help you develop a customized oral health plan and dental recall visit schedule.

Additionally, all BAE Systems dental plans:

• Offer a large, nationwide network of providers that offer discounts for services.
• Cover diagnostic and preventive care (e.g., cleanings and X-rays) at 100%, with no deductible or out-of-pocket cost to you. Plus, preventive cleanings don’t count toward the annual maximum benefit. So, if you have extensive dental work and reach your annual maximum, you can still have your cleanings covered by insurance.
• Provide coverage for basic care, like fillings and gum treatment, and major and restorative care, like crowns and dentures.

Remember that, even if you believe your mouth is in perfect health, you should still get a professional cleaning and annual checkup to ensure that everything is healthy and on track.

Bring your eye health into focus

Did you know that most insurance plans cover annual eye exams, as well as offer discounts on glasses, contacts, and even LASIK? So, what’s keeping you from bringing your health into focus?

What is preventive vision care?

To maintain a lifetime of healthy vision, adults ages 18 to 60 should have a comprehensive eye exam at least once every two years. Older adults (ages 65 and older) should have annual eye exams. At-risk adults should have an exam at least once every year or as recommended by their doctor.

How do you know if you’re considered at risk? Risk factors for adults can include:

• Family history of eye disease, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.
• Diabetes or high blood pressure.
• Wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses.
• Belonging to a high-risk racial or ethnic group (such as Latino or African American).
• Taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that may have eye-related side effects.
• Previous eye injuries or eye surgery (including cataract surgery).
• A visually demanding occupation or one that may pose hazards to the eyes (e.g., firefighter, mechanic, welder, etc.).

If you have VSP insurance through BAE Systems, you will receive the following:

• An annual eye exam for $10, along with an allowance for lenses, frames, or contact lenses once every calendar year.
• Discounts on laser vision correction, lens options, and additional pairs of glasses or sunglasses when purchased through VSP doctors.

Without insurance, the price varies depending on the type of eye care practice, location, and other factors. There are also several organizations that provide free eye exams and glasses for those who are eligible.