Office of the Associate Director for Policy - Prevention

Free preventive care: Many insurance plans provide these services at no cost, without charging co-pays or deductible payments.

Talk to Your Doctor about Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
If you have ever smoked, talk with your doctor about abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Men aged 65-75 who have ever smoked tobacco
More information from CDC

Talk with a Doctor about Your Alcohol Use
If you are concerned about your drinking, ask your doctor about screening and counseling. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults
More information from CDC

Talk with Your Doctor about Taking Aspirin Every Day
Talk to your doctor about taking an aspirin every day to help lower your risk of heart attack or stroke. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Men aged 45-79 and women aged 55-79
More information from CDC

Get Your Blood Pressure Checked
Get your blood pressure checked at least once every 1-2 years. Ask your doctor how often you need to get checked. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults
More information from CDC

Get Your Cholesterol Checked
Get your cholesterol checked once every 5 years. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Men aged 35 and older, and men and women at high risk aged 20 and older
More information from CDC

Get Tested for Colorectal Cancer
Talk with your doctor about options for getting tested. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults aged 50-75
More information from CDC
Colorectal Cancer Screening: Questions for the doctor

Get Tested for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis
Talk with your doctor to find out if you need to be tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis. (USPSTF Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis. )
Recommended for: Adults who have had sex or are at high risk
More information from CDC

Talk with Your Doctor about Depression
Talk with your doctor about how you are feeling if you have been sad, down, or hopeless. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults
More information from CDC

Take Steps to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor if you need to be screened for type 2 diabetes. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults with high blood pressure
More information from CDC
Take Steps to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Get Help with Healthy Eating
If your doctor has told you that you are at risk for heart disease or diabetes, ask about dietary counseling. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults with high cholesterol or at risk for heart disease or diabetes
More information from CDC
Losing Weight: Questions for the doctor

Talk to Your Doctor about Preventing Falls
If you are worried about falls, ask how exercise, physical therapy, and vitamin D supplements might help you prevent falls. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults over 65
More information from CDC

Get Tested for Hepatitis C
Get tested for hepatitis C at least one time if you were born between 1945 and 1965. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults born between 1945 and 1965
More information from CDC
Hepatitis C: Talking with the doctor 

Get Tested for HIV
Get tested for HIV at least once. You may need to get tested more often depending on your risk. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults
More information from CDC
HIV Testing: Questions for the doctor

Get Screened for Lung Cancer
Ask the doctor about screening for lung cancer if you have a history of heavy smoking and you smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years. An example of heavy smoking is smoking 1 pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years – or 2 packs a day for 15 years. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults aged 55-80 who have smoked heavily
More information from CDC

Watch Your Weight
Ask your doctor if you are at a healthy weight. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults
More information from CDC

Talk to the Doctor about Skin Cancer
If you have fair (pale) skin, talk to the doctor about how to reduce your risk for skin cancer. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults under 24 years old with fair skin
More information from CDC

Get Help to Quit Tobacco
If you use tobacco, ask your doctor about services to help you quit. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Adults who use tobacco
More information from CDC

Get a Pneumonia Vaccine
Ask your doctor for a pneumonia vaccine. (ACIP)
Recommended for: Adults over 65 and others at high risk
More information from CDC

Get a Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Get a flu vaccine every year to protect yourself and others from the flu. (ACIP)
Recommended for: Adults
More information from CDC

Get Important Vaccines
Get important adult vaccines (vaccinations). (ACIP)
Recommended for: Adults
More information from CDC
CDC: What vaccines do you need?

The recommendations on this page come from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Bright Futures (BF) Guidelines, and the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Preventive Services for Women.

Free preventive care: Many insurance plans provide these services at no cost, without charging co-pays or deductible payments.

Get Your Well-Woman Visit Every Year
See a doctor or nurse for a checkup once a year. (IOM)
Recommended for: Women under 65
More information from CDC

Choose the Right Birth Control
If you are interested in birth control, talk with a doctor about your options. (IOM)
More information from CDC

Get a Bone Density Test
Get your bone density tested starting at age 65. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Women over 65, and younger women at high risk
More information from CDC
Preventing Osteoporosis: Questions for the doctor 

Talk with a Doctor If Breast or Ovarian Cancer Runs in Your Family
Talk with your doctor if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. (USPSTF Genetic screening, counseling, and testing; Preventive medications)
Recommended for: Women
More information from CDC
Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Questions for the doctor

Get Tested for Breast Cancer
Get a mammogram every 2 years. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Women aged 50-74
More information from CDC
Mammograms: Questions for the doctor

Get Tested for Cervical Cancer
Get a Pap test every 3 years. If you are age 30 or older and get a Pap test and an HPV test, you can get screened every 5 years instead. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Women aged 21-65
More information from CDC

Get Enough Folic Acid
Learn why women who could become pregnant need folic acid. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Women who could become pregnant
More information from CDC

Take Steps to Protect Yourself from Relationship Violence
If you think your partner might be abusive, talk with your doctor about getting help. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Women of childbearing age
More information from CDC

The recommendations on this page come from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Bright Futures (BF) Guidelines, and the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Preventive Services for Women.

Free preventive care: Many insurance plans provide these services at no cost, without charging co-pays or deductible payments.

Talk with your child's doctor about getting all of the preventive care that is recommended for your child’s age.
Preventive care recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Additional information about some important services for children:

Get Physical Exams On Time
Children need regular checkups. Talk to your child's doctor about when checkups are needed. Doctors commonly recommend checkups every year for children 3 years and older. For children under 3 years old, more frequent checkups are needed. The doctor or nurse will check to make sure your child is healthy and developing on schedule. (BF)
Recommended for: Children, from birth to adulthood
More information from CDC

Get Your Child's Vaccines on Schedule
Check with your child's doctor to find out which vaccines your child needs. (ACIP)
Recommended for: Children, from birth to adulthood
More information from CDC
CDC: What vaccines do you need?

Choose the Right Birth Control
If you are interested in birth control for your daughter, talk to her doctor about her options. (IOM)
More information from CDC

Get Your Child’s Blood Pressure Checked
Have a doctor measure your child’s blood pressure during regular checkups. (BF)
Recommended for: Children age 3 years and older
More information from CDC

Get Tested for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis
If your son or daughter is sexually active, ask the doctor if he or she should get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis. Ask the doctor about prevention counseling. (USPSTF Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis)
Recommended for: Young people who have had sex
More information from CDC

Get Screened for Depression
Ask your child's doctor to screen him or her for depression, even if you don't see signs of a problem. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Children at least 12 years old
More information from CDC

Follow Development with Monitoring and Screening
Watch your child’s development and talk with your child’s doctor at every check-up about how your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves. Ask your child’s doctor about developmental screening when your child is 9, 18, and either 24 or 30 months, and autism screening at 18 and either 24 or 30 months or whenever there is a concern. (BF)
Recommended for: Children, from birth to adulthood
More information from CDC

Get Your Child a Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Once your child 6 months old, your son or daughter needs a flu shot every year. Your child’s doctor can tell you if he or she needs one or two doses this year. (ACIP)
Recommended for: Children at least 6 months old
More information from CDC

Check on Your Child's Hearing
If your baby did not pass the newborn hearing screening or if you have concerns about your child’s hearing, ask your child’s doctor about a full hearing test to see if there is a hearing loss. (USPSTF & BF)
Recommended for: Children from birth
More information from CDC

Get Tested for HIV
All teens at least 15 years old need to get tested for HIV at least once. (USPSTF & BF)
Recommended for: Teens age 15 years and older, and younger children at increased risk
More information from CDC
HIV Testing: Questions for the doctor

Get Your Child Tested for Lead Exposure
There are usually no signs or symptoms of lead poisoning. A lead test is the only way to know for sure if your child has lead poisoning. Talk with your child’s doctor about a simple blood lead test. (BF)
Recommended for: Children under 6 years of age living in older housing (built before 1978), and according to state or local requirements.
More information from CDC

Get Screened for Obesity
Talk to your child's doctor to make sure he or she is at a healthy weight.
(USPSTF & BF)
Recommended for: Children age 2 years and older
More information from CDC

Talk to the Doctor about Skin Cancer
If your son or daughter has fair (pale) skin, talk to the doctor about how to reduce the risk of skin cancer. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Children age 10 years and older with fair skin
More information from CDC

Take Care of Your Child's Teeth
Talk to a doctor about fluoride and finding a dentist, starting at age 6 months. (USPSTF & BF)
Recommended for: Children from 6 months to adulthood
More information from CDC

Get Tobacco Screening and Education
Ask your child's doctor to screen your child for tobacco use. (BF) Ask your child's doctor to provide education or brief counseling to help prevent tobacco use. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: School-aged children and adolescents
More information from CDC

Get Your Child's Vision Checked
Have your child's vision checked, starting by age 3. (USPSTF & BF)
Recommended for: Children age 3 years and older
More information from CDC

The recommendations on this page come from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Bright Futures (BF) Guidelines, and the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Preventive Services for Women.

Free preventive care: Many insurance plans provide these services at no cost, without charging co-pays or deductible payments.

Have a Healthy Pregnancy
Start prenatal care as early as possible. Don't use tobacco or drink alcohol during pregnancy. Your doctor will screen you for anemia, bacteria in the urine, HIV, Hepatitis B, Rh disease, and other conditions. (USPSTF Anemia , Bacteriuria , Hepatitis B , RH )
Recommended for: Pregnant women
More information from CDC

Breastfeed Your Baby
Doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding for your baby for the first 6 months and continuing to breastfeed for at least 12 months, if possible. You can get help with breastfeeding from a trained provider. Many health insurance plans provide access to breastfeeding supplies. (USPSTF and IOM)
Recommended for: Pregnant women and new mothers
More information from CDC

Get Tested for HIV
Protect yourself and your baby by getting tested for HIV. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Pregnant women
More information from CDC

Talk with Your Doctor about Newborn Screening
Talk to your doctor about important newborn screening tests. (BF, USPSTF)
Recommended for: Pregnant women
More information from CDC

Get Tested for Syphilis
Get tested for syphilis at your first prenatal doctor's visit. Ask the doctor about prevention counseling. (USPSTF)
Recommended for: Pregnant women
More information from CDC

The recommendations on this page come from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Bright Futures (BF) Guidelines, and the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Preventive Services for Women.