5 Free Screenings Every 20-Something Should Book This Year

The ACA's preventive care mandate is one of the most underused pieces of consumer protection in healthcare. If your plan isn't grandfathered (most employer plans and all marketplace plans aren't), your insurer must cover a specific list of preventive services at exactly $0.

The screenings below are all on that list. The only reason most young adults skip them is that nobody wrote them all in one place. Until now.

1. STI Screenings (HIV, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis)

The CDC recommends annual HIV screening for all adults up to age 65, and STI screenings for sexually active young adults. All covered at no cost. The reason this matters: roughly 1 in 7 people living with HIV don't know their status, and chlamydia in particular often shows zero symptoms while quietly causing long-term reproductive damage.

What to say: 'I'd like my recommended STI panel as part of my preventive care visit today.' Your PCP can order this — you don't need to go to a specialized clinic.

2. Blood Pressure Screening

High blood pressure is called 'the silent killer' for a reason — there are often no symptoms until something serious happens. The ACA requires insurers to cover blood pressure screening for all adults with no cost-sharing. This one takes about 45 seconds.

If your numbers come back elevated, your plan also covers counseling and lifestyle interventions at no cost before you need medication. Early intervention here is massive.

3. Depression and Anxiety Screening

We covered this in depth in our mental health piece, but it deserves a slot here too. The PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) are five-minute questionnaires that give your doctor a baseline. They're fully covered, and knowing where you stand is valuable even if you feel fine.

4. Cholesterol Screening (Lipid Panel)

Cardiovascular disease doesn't start at 60. Young adults with poor diet, family history, or sedentary lifestyles are increasingly being caught with early warning signs in their 20s. A lipid panel measures LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol), and triglycerides — all from a simple blood draw.

The USPSTF recommends this for adults with risk factors, which includes family history, obesity, diabetes, or high blood pressure. If any of those apply to you, ask your doctor to include it in your annual labs.

5. Skin Cancer Screening

Melanoma is the most common cancer in adults aged 25–29. If you have fair skin, a history of sunburns, family history of skin cancer, or lots of moles, a visual skin exam by your PCP is considered preventive and is covered at no cost.

What to ask: 'I'd like a skin cancer screening as part of my preventive visit.' It takes under 10 minutes and dermatologists recommend it annually for anyone with elevated risk.

The One Thing That Trips People Up

Keep your preventive visit focused on preventive care only. If you mention new symptoms at the same appointment — a persistent headache, a weird mole, knee pain — the visit can get reclassified and you'll get a bill. Schedule a separate sick visit for anything new. Same doctor, different appointment.

Upload your insurance card and SBC to benefit, and we'll show you exactly which of these screenings are covered under your specific plan.