Prevention & Wellness Exams

Interior Community Health Center offers prevention and wellness exams!

If you have Medicare Part B benefits, check out our page on Medicare Wellness Exams for information specific to you. 

If you're looking for wellness visits for your child, check out our page on Well Child Check-ups!

What is a Prevention & Wellness exam?

Prevention and Wellness exams are special types of exams that might be covered by your insurance with low or no cost-sharing for you (meaning no co-pay, co-insurance, or deductible). They usually include a review of your medical and social health history and education about screenings and preventive services recommended for your age, history, and other risk factors. They are a great opportunity to learn about everything you need to know to maintain your health. 

Not every insurance plan covers Prevention & Wellness visits, and not every plan has a special coverage just for these visits. But for those that do, sometimes you can get a discount on your insurance premium for completing them! It's important to talk to your insurance plan or your employer to find out what benefits and discounts you might have for Prevention & Wellness visits. 

Limits of a Prevention & Wellness Exam

Keep in mind that if your insurance plan does have special coverage for a wellness visit, there are usually rules about what can and can't be included in a wellness exam. For example, during a Wellness visit, you cannot receive treatment of chronic conditions such as thyroid, diabetes, or high blood pressure. You cannot get your medications renewed or managed, or have tests for your chronic conditions ordered, or treat a new condition or illness. If you ask for those things during your Wellness exam, you won't receive the special coverage for this visit, and you'll have to pay your normal deductible and co-insurance. 

Think of a Prevention & Wellness Exam like taking your car into the shop for an oil change and routine maintenance. It's very important to the health of your vehicle, but they can't replace your transmission at the same time... or if they can, it will cost a whole lot more than an oil change! 

Why should I get a Wellness visit?

Wellness visits are your opportunity for a one-on-one education and planning discussion with your healthcare provider. Our patients find that they love this extra time to learn about their screening and prevention needs without the added pressure of talking about their diabetes or other chronic conditions. You have more time to have your questions answered, and you can approach it with peace of mind, because you aren't there to talk about stressful problems like your high blood pressure. 

Plus, if you've talked to your insurance plan and they cover it in full, the only cost is the investment of your time. It's good to invest in yourself!