Preventive care includes health services like screenings, checkups, and patient counseling to prevent illnesses, diseases, and other health problems. With your medical benefits, all eligible members and dependents are urged to get a routine annual physical exam at no cost. Routine physicals are key to finding undiagnosed issues or concerns that could lead to larger health problems.

Even more important than with adults, children need routine preventative care and exams. You want to make sure your child is developing appropriately and getting the required immunizations. All of the recommended well visits for children are covered at no cost as well.

For those coping with diabetes, the OLDC-OCA Insurance Fund covers many Diabetes Testing and Treatment Supplies at no cost through your Prescription Drug Benefit:  insulin needles and syringes, lancets and devices (spring or powered), blood glucose testing strips, (normal, low, and high) calibrator solution/chips, and alcohol wipes. To receive these at no cost, you must get a prescription from your doctor. The supplies through Elixir will be subject to mandatory mail order; therefore, you need to ask your doctor for a 90-day prescription. Certain glucometers are also available through Elixir at no cost.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a yearly Influenza Vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against influenza. Seasonal flu viruses are detected year-round in the United States. However, flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter. The exact timing and duration of flu season can vary, but influenza activity often begins to increase in October.

As you are probably already aware, smoking causes or worsens many medical issues, conditions, and diseases. If you or your eligible dependent(s) want to stop smoking, you can get Smoking Cessation Drugs for free. Simply get a prescription (for either OTC or prescription medication) from your doctor and get it filled at your local pharmacy for at no cost.

Annual Mammograms for those age 40 and older are covered at no cost. These can detect cancer early — when it is most treatable. In fact, mammograms show changes in the breast up to two years before a patient or physician can feel them. Mammograms can also prevent the need for extensive treatment for advanced cancers and improve chances of breast conservation. Current guidelines from the American College of Radiology, the American Cancer Society, and the Society for Breast Imaging recommend that women receive annual mammograms starting at age 40 — even if they have no symptoms or family history of breast cancer.

Preventive Services that have a rating of “A” or “B” in the United States Preventive Services Task Force, routine immunizations, and other screenings as provided for in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are covered at no cost.  Age and other restrictions apply to certain services.  For example:  Colonoscopies only covered for ages 50 to 75, Bone Density Testing is only covered for women age 60 and older, Herpes Zoster (shingles) Vaccine is covered at age 50 and older, HPV Vaccine is covered under age 27.

The Insurance Fund also covers Birth Control for Women and Routine PAP Smear Tests at not cost. All contraceptive methods for women approved by the FDA are covered. Certain restrictions may apply.

In the event of any inconsistency between the information provided here and the official Plan documents of the OLDC-OCA Insurance Fund, the terms of the official Plan document, as interpreted by the Board of Trustees in its sole discretion, will control.