Women's Routine and Preventive Care

Whether you are a mother, daughter, wife, aunt, or sister - you mean a lot to your family. In order to be there and take care of them, you must keep yourself healthy. Just think, what would your family do if you were to get sick or they were to lose you?

Keystone First Community HealthChoices allows women to arrange for care with some specialty doctors without calling your PCP first. These include:

  • Routine obstetrician (OB) care.
  • Routine gynecological (GYN) care.
  • Routine mammograms, with prescription.
  • Routine family planning services (you do not need to go to an in-network doctor for these services, but the doctor must be a part of the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance program in order for the benefit or service to be paid for).

If you are pregnant, here are some tips to have a healthy baby:

  • Make an appointment with your OB/GYN as soon as possible if you are pregnant. Even if this is not your first pregnancy, you need to see the doctor early because all pregnancies are different.
  • Keep all your appointments with your OB/GYN to keep you and your baby healthy.
  • Ask your doctor about programs to help you stop smoking or using drugs.
  • Ask your doctor about the best foods to eat for you and your baby.
  • Take good care of your teeth and gums. See your dentist for your dental health.
  • Don’t forget: You need to go to the doctor after the baby is born. Your baby needs a checkup in the first month, too.

Special tests for women

There are important tests that women need to get during their lives. Keystone First CHC encourages you to learn about what you need to do to keep yourself healthy and prevent any illness. The thought of going for a Pap test and/or a mammogram makes a lot of women feel very uneasy. Most women feel this way. But remember you are not alone.

Here is what you can expect.

Pap tests

Pap tests check for early signs of cervical cancer and other infections in your body. This test is done in the doctor’s office. During the test the doctor gently takes cells from your cervix. This test only takes a couple of minutes. It may feel a bit uncomfortable to some but it does not hurt.

Talk with your doctor about how often you need a Pap test. Women of all ages can get cervical cancer. Pap tests help doctors find problems early enough to prevent cervical cancer or other illnesses from developing.

Mammograms

Mammograms check women for breast cancer. During the test an X-ray will be taken of your breasts to check for any cancerous lumps. This test does not hurt and will not cause any sickness.

Women should get a mammogram every year after age 40. Your doctor may want you to get a mammogram earlier. Talk to your doctor.

Only about 10% of women have to go for a follow-up test. Of that group, only a small amount end up having breast cancer. But it is better to be safe than sorry. When breast cancer is found early, treatment can be more successful.

Read instructions on how to do a breast self-exam.

Keystone First CHC covers mammograms for all women when it is ordered by the doctor and with a prescription. Pap tests are also covered for all women.

Finding and treating cancer early can save your life. Please stop and take the time to talk to your doctor about having these tests done. If you need help finding an Keystone First CHC doctor, please go to Find a Provider or call Participant Services at 1-855-332-0729 (TTY 1-855-235-4976).

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