Did you know that the most valuable health plan benefit comes at no extra cost to you?
Nearly all major health plans include preventive care benefits with no out-of-pocket expenses when you seek care within your plan’s network. These benefits are built into all health plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — including those offered by GuideStone®.
Preventive care benefits provide you and your dependents with services such as:
Preventive care can help you grow in Christ-centered well-being in four ways:
Everyone wants to feel their best, and preventive care helps make that more of a reality. When you receive a clean bill of health after a checkup, you can feel confident that you are successfully managing your health.
Plus, preventive care is good stewardship. Scripture shows that God cares about how we treat the physical bodies that he gave us.
… everyone called by My name and created for My glory. I have formed him; indeed, I have made him. Isaiah 43:7 (CSB)
Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (CSB)
Those who serve in ministry understand that we must keep our bodies in good condition to serve God and his church well. Taking care of your physical body and regularly accessing preventive care benefits in your health plan are the first steps in this commitment to stewardship.
Establishing a baseline is crucial to know if you are heading in the right direction. Your preventive care records provide your health care provider with reference points to judge your overall health from year to year. These records allow providers to dive deeper into your health history and review changes over time that may indicate an issue. Your health timeline can guide health care professionals in quickly identifying and managing deviations.
Today’s health care professionals have an arsenal of care options to protect and treat your health. Many are included in your health plan’s preventive care benefits. Some common examples include immunizations and annual flu shots.
You can also receive regular screenings, such as mammograms, to detect health issues that could develop into more severe problems later. Periodic testing for diseases, such as diabetes and cancer, also provides a greater chance for early treatment and the potential for a full recovery.
No-cost preventive care shifts the focus and cost of health care to the front end of disease treatment and can help avoid more complex and costly issues later.
Engaging in preventive care is a financial win-win for the individual receiving the health care and the ministry providing the health plan. Since preventive care services are provided at no cost to the patient, there is no financial barrier to receiving care.
Additionally, since preventive care can help identify health care issues early, conditions are generally less costly to control. For example, a routine checkup could flag high blood pressure, which can be managed by diet and low-cost medication. If left unchecked, high blood pressure can cause a myriad of other costly health problems, such as a heart attack or stroke.
If you have a GuideStone plan, learn which benefits are available in your health plan’s Preventive Schedule and schedule your appointments and screenings today. You can also download a preventive care handout that highlights how to use preventive care benefits. For more information, contact us at Insurance@GuideStone.org or 1-844-INS-GUIDE (1-844-467-4843), Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.
GuideStone welcomes the opportunity to share this general information. However, this article is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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