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Clinical Preventive Services

Note: This chart is not all-inclusive.

Clinical Preventive Services: Coverage Details

Service Description
Comprehensive Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Examinations A comprehensive clinical preventive examination is covered if it includes an immunization, Pap smear, mammogram, colon cancer screening, or prostate cancer screening. School enrollment physicals for children ages 5–11 are also covered.

Beneficiaries in each of the following age groups may receive one comprehensive clinical preventive examination without receiving an immunization, Pap smear, mammogram, colon cancer screening, or prostate cancer screening (one examination per age group): 2–4, 5–11, 12–17, 18–39, and 40–64.
Targeted Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Services The screening examinations listed below may be covered if provided in conjunction with a comprehensive clinical preventive exam. The intent is to maximize preventive care.
Cancer Screenings
  • Colonoscopy:
    • Average Risk: Individuals at average risk for colon cancer are covered once every 10 years beginning at age 50.
    • Increased Risk: Once every five years for individuals with a first-degree relative diagnosed with a colorectal cancer or an adenomatous polyp before the age of 60, or in two or more first-degree relatives at any age. Optical colonoscopy should be performed beginning at age 40 or 10 years younger than the earliest affected relative, whichever is earlier. Once every 10 years, beginning at age 40, for individuals with a first-degree relative diagnosed with colorectal cancer or an adenomatous polyp at age 60 or older, or colorectal cancer diagnosed in two second-degree relatives.
    • High Risk: Once every one to two years for individuals with a genetic or clinical diagnosis of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or individuals at increased risk for HNPCC. Optical colonoscopy should be performed beginning at age 20-25 or 10 years younger than the earliest age of diagnosis, whichever is earlier. For individuals diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, chronic ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease, cancer risk begins to be significant eight years after the onset of pancolitis or 10-12 years after the onset of left-sided colitis. For individuals meeting these risk parameters, optical colonoscopy should be performed every one to two years with biopsies for dysplasia.
  • Fecal occult blood testing: Conduct testing annually starting at age 50.
  • Breast Cancer:
    • Clinical Breast Examination: For women under age 40, a clinical breast examination may be performed during a preventive health visit. For women age 40 and older, a clinical breast examination should be performed annually.
    • Mammograms: Covered annually for all women beginning at age 40. Covered annually beginning at age 30 for women who have a 15 percent or greater lifetime risk of breast cancer (according to risk assessment tools based on family history such as the Gail model, the Claus model, and the Tyrer-Cuzick model), or who have any of the following risk factors:
      • History of breast cancer, Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Lobular Carcinoma In Situ, Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia, or Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia
      • Extremely dense breasts when viewed by mammogram
      • Known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation1
      • First-degree relative (parent, child, sibling) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, and have not had genetic testing themselves1 
      • Radiation therapy to the chest between ages 10 and 30
      • History of Li-Fraumeni, Cowden, or hereditary diffuse gastric cancer syndrome, or a first-degree relative with a history of one of these syndromes1    
  • Breast Screening Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Covered annually, in addition to the annual screening mammogram, beginning at age 30 for women who have a 20 percent or greater lifetime risk of breast cancer (according to risk assessment tools based on family history such as the Gail model, the Claus model, and the Tyrer-Cuzick model), or who have any of the following risk factors:
    •  Known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation1 
    • First-degree relative (parent, child, sibling) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, and have not had genetic testing themselves1 
    • Radiation to the chest between ages 10 and 30
    • History of Li-Fraumeni, Cowden, or hereditary diffuse gastric cancer syndrome, or a first-degree relative with a history of one of these syndromes1  
  • Proctosigmoidoscopy or sigmoidoscopy:
    • Average Risk: Once every three to five years beginning at age 50.
    • Increased Risk: Once every five years, beginning at age 40, for individuals with a first-degree relative diagnosed with a colorectal cancer or an adenomatous polyp at age 60 or older, or two second-degree relatives diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
    • High Risk: Annual flexible sigmoidoscopy, beginning at age 10-12, for individuals with known or suspected Familial Adenomatous Polyposis.
  • Prostate cancer: Perform a digital rectal exam and prostate-specific antigen screening annually for certain high-risk men ages 40–49 and all men over age 50.
  • Routine Pap smears: Perform a Pap smear annually for women starting at age 18 (younger if sexually active) or less often at patient and provider discretion (though not less than every three years). Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing is covered as a cervical cancer screening only when performed in conjunction with a Pap smear, and only for women age 30 and older..
  • Skin cancer: Examinations are covered at any age for a beneficiary who is at high risk due to family history or increased sun exposure.
Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Cholesterol test (non-fasting): Testing is covered for a lipid panel at least once every five years, beginning at age 18.
  • Blood pressure screening: Screening is covered annually for children (ages 3–6) and a minimum of every two years after age 6 (children and adults). 
Eye Examinations 
  • Well-child care coverage (infants and children up to age 6):
    • Infants: Conduct one eye and vision screening at birth and at 6 months.
    • Children (ages 3–6): Conduct a routine eye examination every two years. Active duty family member (ADFM) children are covered for one routine eye examination annually.
  • Adults and children (over age 6): Conduct a routine eye examination every two years. Active duty service members (ADSMs) and ADFMs receive one eye examination each year.
  • Diabetic patients (any age): Eye examinations are not limited. One eye examination per year is recommended.
Note: ADSMs enrolled in TRICARE Prime must receive all vision care at military treatment facilities unless specifically referred by their primary care manager to civilian network providers, or to non-network providers if a network provider is not available.  ADSMs enrolled in TRICARE Prime Remote may obtain periodic eye examinations from network providers without authorizations as needed to maintain fitness-for-duty status.
Hearing Preventive hearing examinations are only allowed under the well-child care benefit. A newborn audiology screening should be performed on newborns before hospital discharge or within the first month after birth. Evaluative hearing tests may be performed at other ages during routine exams.
Immunizations Age-appropriate doses of vaccines, including annual influenza vaccines, are covered as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The HPV vaccine is covered for all females ages 11–26 who have not completed the vaccine series, regardless of sexual activity or clinical evidence of previous HPV infection. The HPV vaccine is not covered for males, or females after age 26.

A single dose of the shingles vaccine Zostavax® is covered for beneficiaries age 60 and older.

Coverage is effective the date the recommendations are published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Refer to the CDC's web site for a current schedule of recommended vaccines.

Note: Immunizations for ADFMs whose sponsors have permanent change-of-station orders to overseas locations are also covered. Immunizations for personal overseas travel are not covered.
Infectious Disease Screening TRICARE covers screening for infectious diseases, including hepatitis B, rubella antibodies and HIV, and screening and/or prophylaxis for tetanus, rabies, hepatitis A and B, meningococcal meningitis, and tuberculosis.
Patient and Parent Education Counseling  Counseling services expected of good clinical practice that are included with the appropriate office visit are covered at no additional charge for dietary assessment and nutrition; physical activity and exercise; cancer surveillance; safe sexual practices; tobacco, alcohol, and substance abuse; dental health promotion; accident and injury prevention; stress; bereavement; and suicide risk assessment.
School Physicals  Covered for children ages 5-11 if required in connection with school enrollment.

Note: Annual sports physicals are not covered.
Well-Child Care
(birth to age 6)		 Covers routine newborn care; comprehensive health promotion and disease prevention exams; vision and hearing screenings; height, weight, and head circumference measurement; routine immunizations; and developmental and behavioral appraisal. TRICARE covers well-child care in accordance with American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and CDC guidelines. Your child can receive preventive care well-child visits as frequently as the AAP recommends, but no more than nine visits in two years. Visits for diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury are covered separately under outpatient care.

1 Listing of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations as additional risk factors does not imply or constitute TRICARE coverage of BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic testing as a clinical preventive service.

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Last Update: November 16, 2011