Health Care Consumer Protection

Screenings are tests that look for diseases and other health conditions before you have symptoms. The benefit of screening is finding a disease or condition early, when it's easier to treat. Examples of screening tests that doctors may recommend are tests for colorectal cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, breast cancer and cervical cancer. Screenings have risks. It is important to know which tests you need, and how often you need them. You can learn more about which screening tests you need at this website. Tips for Consumers - Key messages English Folleto en Español 简体中文信息 (Simplified Chinese) 繁體中文信息 (Traditional Chinese) 한국어(Korean)

When you are thinking about what screenings you need, here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. What tests do I need?
   
   
   • Not everyone needs every screening test. Which tests are recommended for you depends on the disease and on factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, family history, if you are pregnant, and behavior such as smoking or sexual activity.
   • Talk to your doctor about which tests are right for you. Ask at what age you should start getting screened for each disease and at what age you can stop.
   • Get more information about what screening tests are recommended by age and gender from reliable sources such as www.healthfinder.gov.
   • Some companies sell screening tests for example through newspaper ads, flyers or the internet. Some of these tests can waste your money and sometimes can lead to harm. Talk to your doctor before getting a test.
   
   
2. Where do I start?
   
   
   
   
   • Start by using this tool from www.healthfinder.gov to find out which tests might be right for you, print off the information to share with your health care provider.
     
     
     • Click here for basic, easy to read information about screening tests
     • Click here for detailed information on US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on preventive health topics
   
   
3. Are screening tests free?
   
   Often - Yes!
   
   
   • If you have health insurance
     
     
     • Most health plans must cover a set of preventive services — like shots and screening tests — at no cost to you even if you haven’t met your yearly deductible. They cannot charge you a copayment or coinsurance. Note that these services are free only when delivered by a doctor or other provider in your plan’s network.
     • Click on the links to find out which preventive services are available for free for all adults, for women and for children and adolescents who have health insurance. Visit the HealthCare.gov – preventive care services for more information.
   • If you don’t have health insurance
     
     
     • Los Angeles County residents who are not insured can obtain information about coverage options and free and low cost health care programs at the Department of Health Services website.
     
     
4. If I don’t have a doctor, how can I get the screening tests that I need?
   
   
   • Call 2-1-1 or visit the 211 webpage for help finding health care and insurance. 2-1-1 is free and the operators speak 9 languages.
   • If you are undocumented and don’t think you can get or afford health care, find out about My Health LA , a free insurance program for individuals and families who cannot get health insurance. Health care services are provided by more than 200 Community Partner clinics in My Health LA. Go here to find a clinic near you.
     
      
   
   
5. What should I ask when I get a screening test?
   
   Ask:
   
   
   • When will I get the results?
   • Who can I talk to if I have questions?
   • Do I need to be screened again, and if so, when?

RESOURCES

How can I find out more? For more information on screening and prevention check out:

• Medline Plus: Health Screening – This page has general information on screening, details about common screening tests and a large list of resources.
  
  
• Health Finder.org: Get Screened - Basic, easy to read information about screening tests and advice on which tests you need for adults at different ages.
  
  
• US Preventive Services Task Force: Index Information about screening tests, counseling services, and preventive medicines on topics for which the task force has released recommendations. Includes guides, fact sheets, slideshows, and videos.
  
  
• HealthCare.gov: Preventive Care Services – Information about preventive tests that are covered by insurance at no cost.
  
  
• Food and Drug Administration: Home Use Tests - Information about which home tests are FDA approved, and what precautions to take when using tests at home.
  
  
• Food and Drug Administration: Whole-Body CT Screening--Should I or Shouldn't I Get One? – Information about the risks and benefits of CT scans when used for screening tests.