What are 'preventive services' in health insurance?

Preventive services in health insurance refer to medical services designed to prevent illnesses or detect them in their early stages before they become more serious health issues. These services are typically aimed at screening, vaccination, and counseling to promote health and wellbeing. Many insurance plans cover these preventive services at no cost to the patient, ensuring that individuals have access to important health measures without financial barriers.

This coverage is essential because it encourages people to seek necessary preventive care, such as annual check-ups, mammograms, immunizations, and screenings for conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. By catching potential health problems early, these services can lead to better health outcomes and reduce the need for more extensive and expensive treatments later.

In contrast to preventive services, other options do not align with this definition. For instance, services available only after an illness has occurred focus on treatment rather than prevention. Additionally, prior authorization typically pertains to specific treatments or services that require approval, rather than addressing preventative care. Lastly, emergency medical services are generally focused on urgent care situations and do not fall under the category of preventive services. Thus, option B is the most accurate representation of what constitutes preventive services in health insurance.