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USPSTF A and B Recommendations
The following is a list of preventive services that have a rating of A or B from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that are relevant for implementing the Affordable Care Act. The preventive services are listed alphabetically. For a list of preventive services by date of release of the current recommendation, go to http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsrecsdate.htm.
| Topic | Description | Grade | Release Date of Current Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening: men | The USPSTF recommends one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm by ultrasonography in men ages 65 to 75 years who have ever smoked. | B | February 2005 |
| Alcohol misuse counseling | The USPSTF recommends screening and behavioral counseling interventions to reduce alcohol misuse by adults, including pregnant women, in primary care settings. | B | April 2004 |
| Anemia screening: pregnant women | The USPSTF recommends routine screening for iron deficiency anemia in asymptomatic pregnant women. | B | May 2006 |
| Aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease: men | The USPSTF recommends the use of aspirin for men ages 45 to 79 years when the potential benefit due to a reduction in myocardial infarctions outweighs the potential harm due to an increase in gastrointestinal hemorrhage. | A | March 2009 |
| Aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease: women | The USPSTF recommends the use of aspirin for women ages 55 to 79 years when the potential benefit of a reduction in ischemic strokes outweighs the potential harm of an increase in gastrointestinal hemorrhage. | A | March 2009 |
| Bacteriuria screening: pregnant women | The USPSTF recommends screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria with urine culture in pregnant women at 12 to 16 weeks' gestation or at the first prenatal visit, if later. | A | July 2008 |
| Blood pressure screening in adults | The USPSTF recommends screening for high blood pressure in adults age 18 years and older. | A | December 2007 |
| BRCA screening, counseling about | The USPSTF recommends that women whose family history is associated with an increased risk for deleterious mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes be referred for genetic counseling and evaluation for BRCA testing. | B | September 2005 |
| Breast cancer preventive medication | The USPSTF recommends that clinicians discuss chemoprevention with women at high risk for breast cancer and at low risk for adverse effects of chemoprevention. Clinicians should inform patients of the potential benefits and harms of chemoprevention. | B | July 2002 |
| Breast cancer screening | The USPSTF recommends screening mammography for women, with or without clinical breast examination, every 1 to 2 years for women age 40 years and older. | B | September 2002† |
| Breastfeeding counseling | The USPSTF recommends interventions during pregnancy and after birth to promote and support breastfeeding. | B | October 2008 |
| Cervical cancer screening | The USPSTF recommends screening for cervical cancer in women ages 21 to 65 years with cytology (Pap smear) every 3 years or, for women ages 30 to 65 years who want to lengthen the screening interval, screening with a combination of cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing every 5 years. | A | March 2012* |
| Chlamydial infection screening: nonpregnant women | The USPSTF recommends screening for chlamydial infection in all sexually active nonpregnant young women age 24 years and younger and for older nonpregnant women who are at increased risk. | A | June 2007 |
| Chlamydial infection screening: pregnant women | The USPSTF recommends screening for chlamydial infection in all pregnant women age 24 years and younger and for older pregnant women who are at increased risk. | B | June 2007 |
| Cholesterol abnormalities screening: men 35 and older | The USPSTF strongly recommends screening men age 35 years and older for lipid disorders. | A | June 2008 |
| Cholesterol abnormalities screening: men younger than 35 | The USPSTF recommends screening men ages 20 to 35 years for lipid disorders if they are at increased risk for coronary heart disease. | B | June 2008 |
| Cholesterol abnormalities screening: women 45 and older | The USPSTF strongly recommends screening women age 45 years and older for lipid disorders if they are at increased risk for coronary heart disease. | A | June 2008 |
| Cholesterol abnormalities screening: women younger than 45 | The USPSTF recommends screening women ages 20 to 45 years for lipid disorders if they are at increased risk for coronary heart disease. | B | June 2008 |
| Colorectal cancer screening | The USPSTF recommends screening for colorectal cancer using fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy in adults beginning at age 50 years and continuing until age 75 years. The risks and benefits of these screening methods vary. | A | October 2008 |
| Dental caries prevention: preschool children | The USPSTF recommends that primary care clinicians prescribe oral fluoride supplementation at currently recommended doses to preschool children older than age 6 months whose primary water source is deficient in fluoride. | B | April 2004 |
| Depression screening: adolescents | The USPSTF recommends screening adolescents (ages 12-18 years) for major depressive disorder when systems are in place to ensure accurate diagnosis, psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal), and follow-up. | B | March 2009 |
| Depression screening: adults | The USPSTF recommends screening adults for depression when staff-assisted depression care supports are in place to assure accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and follow-up. | B | December 2009 |
| Diabetes screening | The USPSTF recommends screening for type 2 diabetes in asymptomatic adults with sustained blood pressure (either treated or untreated) greater than 135/80 mm Hg. | B | June 2008 |
| Falls prevention in older adults: exercise or physical therapy | The USPSTF recommends exercise or physical therapy to prevent falls in community-dwelling adults age 65 years and older who are at increased risk for falls. | B | May 2012 |
| Falls prevention in older adults: vitamin D | The USPSTF recommends vitamin D supplementation to prevent falls in community-dwelling adults age 65 years and older who are at increased risk for falls. | B | May 2012 |
| Folic acid supplementation | The USPSTF recommends that all women planning or capable of pregnancy take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400 to 800 µg) of folic acid. | A | May 2009 |
| Gonorrhea prophylactic medication: newborns | The USPSTF recommends prophylactic ocular topical medication for all newborns for the prevention of gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum. | A | July 2011* |
| Gonorrhea screening: women | The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen all sexually active women, including those who are pregnant, for gonorrhea infection if they are at increased risk for infection (that is, if they are young or have other individual or population risk factors). | B | May 2005 |
| Healthy diet counseling | The USPSTF recommends intensive behavioral dietary counseling for adult patients with hyperlipidemia and other known risk factors for cardiovascular and diet-related chronic disease. Intensive counseling can be delivered by primary care clinicians or by referral to other specialists, such as nutritionists or dietitians. | B | January 2003 |
| Hearing loss screening: newborns | The USPSTF recommends screening for hearing loss in all newborn infants. | B | July 2008 |
| Hemoglobinopathies screening: newborns | The USPSTF recommends screening for sickle cell disease in newborns. | A | September 2007 |
| Hepatitis B screening: pregnant women | The USPSTF strongly recommends screening for hepatitis B virus infection in pregnant women at their first prenatal visit. | A | June 2009 |
| HIV screening | The USPSTF strongly recommends that clinicians screen for HIV in all adolescents and adults at increased risk for HIV infection. | A | July 2005 |
| Hypothyrodism screening: newborns | The USPSTF recommends screening for congenital hypothyroidism in newborns. | A | March 2008 |
| Intimate partner violence screening: women of childbearing age | The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen women of childbearing age for intimate partner violence, such as domestic violence, and provide or refer women who screen positive to intervention services. This recommendation applies to women who do not have signs or symptoms of abuse. | B | January 2013 |
| Iron supplementation in children | The USPSTF recommends routine iron supplementation for asymptomatic children ages 6 to 12 months who are at increased risk for iron deficiency anemia. | B | May 2006 |
| Obesity screening and counseling: adults | The USPSTF recommends screening all adults for obesity. Clinicians should offer or refer patients with a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher to intensive, multicomponent behavioral interventions. | B | June 2012* |
| Obesity screening and counseling: children | The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen children age 6 years and older for obesity and offer them or refer them to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions to promote improvement in weight status. | B | January 2010 |
| Osteoporosis screening: women | The USPSTF recommends screening for osteoporosis in women age 65 years and older and in younger women whose fracture risk is equal to or greater than that of a 65-year-old white woman who has no additional risk factors. | B | January 2012* |
| Phenylketonuria screening: newborns | The USPSTF recommends screening for phenylketonuria in newborns. | A | March 2008 |
| Rh incompatibility screening: first pregnancy visit | The USPSTF strongly recommends Rh (D) blood typing and antibody testing for all pregnant women during their first visit for pregnancy-related care. | A | February 2004 |
| Rh incompatibility screening: 24–28 weeks' gestation | The USPSTF recommends repeated Rh (D) antibody testing for all unsensitized Rh (D)-negative women at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation, unless the biological father is known to be Rh (D)-negative. | B | February 2004 |
| Sexually transmitted infections counseling | The USPSTF recommends high-intensity behavioral counseling to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in all sexually active adolescents and for adults at increased risk for STIs. | B | October 2008 |
| Skin cancer behavioral counseling | The USPSTF recommends counseling children, adolescents, and young adults ages 10 to 24 years who have fair skin about minimizing their exposure to ultraviolet radiation to reduce risk for skin cancer. | B | May 2012 |
| Tobacco use counseling and interventions: nonpregnant adults | The USPSTF recommends that clinicians ask all adults about tobacco use and provide tobacco cessation interventions for those who use tobacco products. | A | April 2009 |
| Tobacco use counseling: pregnant women | The USPSTF recommends that clinicians ask all pregnant women about tobacco use and provide augmented, pregnancy-tailored counseling to those who smoke. | A | April 2009 |
| Syphilis screening: nonpregnant persons | The USPSTF strongly recommends that clinicians screen persons at increased risk for syphilis infection. | A | July 2004 |
| Syphilis screening: pregnant women | The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen all pregnant women for syphilis infection. | A | May 2009 |
| Visual acuity screening in children | The USPSTF recommends vision screening for all children at least once between the ages of 3 and 5 years, to detect the presence of amblyopia or its risk factors. | B | January 2011* |
†The Department of Health and Human Services, in implementing the Affordable Care Act under the standard it sets out in revised Section 2713(a)(5) of the Public Health Service Act, utilizes the 2002 recommendation on breast cancer screening of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. To see the USPSTF 2009 recommendation on breast cancer screening, go to http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsbrca.htm.
* Previous recommendation was an “A” or “B.”
Current as of January 2013
Internet Citation:
USPSTF A and B Recommendations. January 2013. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsabrecs.htm
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