Preventive Service Updates Coming in July

Updates to our preventive care benefits are coming July 1, 2024, or after as groups renew. These changes are in response to new federal recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and apply to all members with non-grandfathered health plans.

The following is a summary of additional benefits that may now be covered for Premera members in your care.

• Screening for hypertensive disorders in asymptomatic pregnant persons with blood pressure measurements throughout pregnancy.
• Members receiving the influenza vaccine who have had an allergic reaction to egg, involving symptoms other than urticaria, no longer need to be vaccinated in an inpatient or outpatient setting supervised by a provider able to recognize and manage severe allergic reactions.
• Screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in asymptomatic adults at increased risk of tuberculosis (TB).
• Screening for anxiety, depression, and suicide risk in the adult population ages 64 years or younger, including pregnant and postpartum persons.
• It’s now recommended that clinicians prescribe pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) using effective antiretroviral therapy to persons who are at increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition to decrease the risk of acquiring HIV.
• Vaccinations for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) for members who are adults ages 60 and older, pregnant women, infants younger than 8 months, and infants 8 months to 19 months at increased risk.

Please note, some of the new recommendations listed above may have already been covered by Premera medical policies. Visit our medical policy and coding updates page for more information about preventive coverage and benefits. Resources will be updated on/after effective dates, as applicable.