Preventive Care is Important – Even During a Pandemic

11/05/2020

Your health is essential and shouldn’t be ignored, even during a pandemic. It’s normal to feel anxious about being in a public setting like a doctor’s office and possibly being exposed to the COVID-19 coronavirus, but there are precautions you can take to help make your visit safer. Preventive care is crucial to your overall well-being, especially if you have a chronic condition like asthma or diabetes.

Talk to your primary care provider (PCP) to find out what is being done to make your in-person visit safe. Here are some ideas:

• Ask what steps your PCP is taking to protect patients, such as cleaning procedures, separate entries and exits and staff temperature checks.
• Ask what steps you can take during your appointment, like wearing a mask and arriving on time. Can you wait in your car so you spend less time in the waiting room?
• If your PCP prescribes medication, see if you can get your prescription through mail order. If you need the prescription right away, use the drive-through at your pharmacy.  

If you aren’t ready to make an in-person visit, call your doctor’s office to see if they offer telehealth appointments. A telehealth visit with your PCP is covered at the same benefit as an in-office visit.

Remember: Just because care is not urgent, it doesn’t mean it is unnecessary. Preventive checkups and screenings are important for maintaining wellness and long-term health. They may help you and your doctor find illnesses and medical problems early and improve your health and the health of everyone in your family.

As a HealthSelect^SM participant, your plan covers preventive care screenings and services with no out-of-pocket costs as long as you visit a doctor in your plan’s provider network. This is true even if you haven’t met your deductible, if your plan has one. Learn more about covered screenings and immunizations.

For COVID-19 related safety tips and resources visit the COVID-19 landing page on the HealthSelect website.

If you need help finding an in-network provider or have questions about preventive care, call a BCBSTX Personal Health Assistant toll-free at (800) 252-8039 (TTY: 711), Monday—Friday 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT.