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Plan for Prevention at Kaiser Permanente San Jose

Prevention has always been a part of the culture at Kaiser Permanente. That is why Kaiser Permanente consistently ranks at the top in prevention among health plans nationally. Here, you can learn about how to develop your own prevention plan.

Preventive health services describe the types of medical care that help to prevent disease or to detect disease early enough so that treatment is more likely to be successful. These services can include immunizations, laboratory tests, medical procedures, behavioral health interventions, or other types of screening methods.

Developing a prevention plan involves learning about preventive health services and discussing with your doctor about which preventive health services are most appropriate for you. As you begin to develop your personalized prevention plan, consider taking the following actions:

Below, we list some of the preventive health services effective and appropriate to most people. Please use these guidelines as a basis for discussion with your doctor about a prevention plan personalized for you. Click on the name of a preventive health service to learn more about it.
During your next appointment, check your registration slip. The registration slip can tell you if you might be due for certain preventive health services.
- Registration Slip (English)
- Registration Slip (Spanish)
If you think that you might need a preventive health service, please call, email, or make an appointment with your doctor.
Download this worksheet to help you track your prevention health history.

Prevention Guidelines for Adults

Download a printable version of the guidelines

RECOMMENDED SCREENINGS AND IMMUNIZATIONS
Age	20	30	40	50	60	70	80+
Breast cancer (for women)			Have a mammogram every 1 to 2 years.
Cervical cancer (for women)	Have a Pap test every 1 to 3 years starting at age 21, or earlier if sexually active. Beginning at age 30, have a Pap and HPV test every 3 years up to age 65.
Cholesterol			Get tested every 5 years.
Colorectal cancer				Have a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years and/or a fecal occult blood test every 1 to 2 years.
Depression	Depression may be present in young adults with symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, eating disorders, weight gain or loss, or difficulty sleeping. It may also develop in women after pregnancy and in both men and women in transitional periods of their lives including menopause, loss of a spouse, onset or diagnosis of serious illness. Talk to your physician about life changes and your feelings of stress or depression, especially if you are having suicidal thoughts.
Diabetes				Get tested every 5 years. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, your doctor might recommend more frequent testing.
HIV and other STDs	Get tested for HIV and other STDs if you have had unprotected sex, are pregnant, or have any other reason to think you may be at risk. Have a yearly chlamydia test if you're sexually active and between ages 14 and 25.
Hypertension	Have your blood pressure checked every 1 to 2 years. Your goal is 120/80 or lower.
Immunizations	Get an annual flu shot starting at age 50. Get a tetanus diphtheria booster shot every 10 years. Get a pneumonia shot once after age 65.
Osteoporosis						Talk to your physician about having a bone mineral density (BMD) test at age 65.
Overweight and obesity	Have your body mass index (BMI) calculated every 1 to 2 years.
Prostate cancer (for men)			Discuss the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test and rectal exam with your physician.

RECOMMENDED LIFESTYLE PRACTICES
Age	20	30	40	50	60	70	80+
Alcohol and drugs	Using alcohol and drugs while being treated for other physical or mental conditions may be harmful. Be sure to follow directions on the labels. And, if your use of alcohol and drugs is anti-social or interfering with your health and well being, contact your practitioner immediately for help.
Diet and nutrition	Enjoy a variety of healthy foods daily. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Choose lean meats, low-fat dairy products, and whole grain foods. Limit foods high in salt, saturated and trans fat, and sugar. Women of childbearing age should take a multivitamin with 0.4 mg of folic acid daily. To prevent osteoporosis, take calcium and vitamin D, exercise regularly, and avoid tobacco.
Mental / Behavioral Health	Change your mind with a positive thought. Choose a meditative or spiritual practice to use regularly to interrupt the stress of daily living. Breathe deeply when taking a break during your day. And if you are feeling down, or overly stressed, in a way that is unusual for you, talk with a friend, a trusted peer, or make an appointment with a therapist, counselor or spiritual advisor. If you are having thoughts of suicide, or if you are being abused, threatened or hurt by anyone, call your health care professional immediately to get help.
Exercise	Be physically active for 30 to 60 minutes on most days. Walk the dog, dance, and take the stairs�it all counts!
Injury prevention	Wear your seat belt every time and buckle up children. Don't keep loaded firearms in the house. Wear a helmet when you are on a bike, motorcycle, skateboard, or skates.
Midlife choices (for women)		Starting at age 45, talk to your personal physician about options for managing menopausal symptoms and preventing serious medical conditions later in life.
Sexual practices	Practice safer sex and use condoms to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. Use birth control (this includes emergency contraception) to avoid unplanned pregnancy.
Skin protection	Always protect your skin from the sun when outdoors. Wear a hat and sunscreen to reduce your risk of skin cancer.
Smoking	Don't smoke or use tobacco. If you do, we can help you quit. Don't allow anyone to smoke around you or your child.

Please note: These recommendations are for generally healthy people. If you have an ongoing health problem, special health needs or risks, or if certain conditions run in your family, your prevention plan may be different

If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. When you have an emergency medical condition, we cover emergency care from Plan providers and non-Plan providers anywhere in the world.

An emergency medical condition is (1) a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or serious impairment or dysfunction of your bodily functions or organs; or (2) when you are in active labor and there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your or your unborn child's health and safety.