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Insurance Guide for Heart Disease: Honoring American Heart Month

author-photoWritten by Dylan Tate
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Dylan Tate

Dylan Tate is an insurance content expert for SmartFinancial with over 300 articles about home, auto, business, health a...

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editor-photoEdited by Richard Murphy
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Richard Murphy

Richard Murphy manages content on SmartFinancial's website. With a strong background in content strategy and copywriting...

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Published January 19, 2026

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In February, several organizations and governmental entities honor American Heart Month to raise awareness about the prevalence of heart disease and associated deaths in the United States. While cardiovascular illness care can cost thousands of dollars, health insurance — including private coverage and Medicare or Medicaid — can help cover the costs for several types of screenings and treatments.

Read on for more information about February Heart Awareness Month and what steps you can take to improve or maintain your heart health.

Key Takeaways

  • American Heart Month is celebrated in February, highlighting the prevalence of heart disease and the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices to lower your risk of experiencing cardiovascular health problems.
  • Heart disease is the top cause of death among most populations in the United States.
  • Health insurance plans are generally required to cover screenings for certain heart disease risk factors, though insurers may differ on whether and how they cover other types of blood tests and heart scans.
  • Medicare members can receive a free heart disease screening once every five years.
  • It costs more than $5,000 per year on average to be treated for heart disease — and out-of-pocket costs often exceed $2,000 per year even if you have health insurance.

On This Page

Expand Table of Contents

What Is American Heart Month?

American Heart Month is an annual information campaign devoted to encouraging people to prioritize their cardiovascular health, learn about heart disease risk factors and know how to recognize and manage heart-related illnesses.[1] Awareness and prevention are especially important for high-risk populations, such as pregnant and postmenopausal women.[2]

When Is American Heart Month?

Government agencies and nonprofit organizations in the United States observe American Heart Month in February every year. One of the highlights of the celebration is National Wear Red Day, when supporters are encouraged to wear red clothing in order to kick-start conversations about heart disease awareness and prevention. National Wear Red Day takes place on the first Friday in February.[3]

Why Is American Heart Month Important?

It’s important to raise awareness about heart health because of how common and destructive cardiovascular problems are. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.[3] While some populations are more at risk than others, cardiovascular illness is ultimately the No. 1 killer of men, women and most racial and ethnic groups, accounting for 20% of deaths in the United States in 2022.[1]

Heart disease is a prominent risk even for young people — it’s estimated that over 23,000 children go into cardiac arrest outside of a hospital annually.[4] Prevention of heart disease is also crucial because of the significant financial burden it can create. When counting lost productivity and the cost of health care services and medications, the American people collectively lost more than $400 billion due to heart disease from 2020 to 2021.[1]

American Heart Month History

The first American Heart Month was celebrated in February 1964 following a joint resolution approved by Congress and a proclamation issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson in December 1963. At the time, heart and circulatory system diseases contributed to more than 50% of deaths in the United States each year. In his proclamation, Johnson highlighted the education and research efforts of the American Heart Association and various government programs.[5]

How To Celebrate American Heart Month

The best way to celebrate American Heart Month is to take care of your own cardiovascular health. Managing your blood pressure and cholesterol can help mitigate your chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. Healthy lifestyle habits that can improve your heart health include eating healthier foods, exercising, refraining from smoking and taking aspirin or other medications prescribed by your primary care doctor.[6]

In addition, you can celebrate by raising awareness about American Heart Month. For example, you can share heart disease statistics on your social media, print out American Heart Month flyers to pass out in your neighborhood or share insights from heart research studies and related publications with your friends, family members, classmates or coworkers.[3]

Are Screenings for Heart Disease Covered by Health Insurance?

Health insurance companies that operate on the Health Insurance Marketplace are required to cover screenings for various heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. These preventive care benefits are fully covered when you receive them from an in-network provider, meaning you generally won’t have to pay a copay or coinsurance — even if you have yet to meet your deductible for the year.[7]

Additionally, Medicare members can receive coverage for preventive cardiovascular disease screenings once every five years through Medicare Part B.[8]

What To Do if You Don’t Have Health Insurance

If you don’t have health insurance, you may be able to get a cheap or no-cost heart screening through a nonprofit or a government agency. For example, the American Heart Association’s Doctors With Heart initiative offers free telehealth cardiology consultations to underserved communities.[9] Similarly, Colorado residents can receive free screenings from community health workers through the Colorado Heart Healthy Solutions program.[10]

What Diagnostic Tests for Heart Disease Are Typically Covered by Insurance?

Coverage for specific heart disease tests may vary, depending on your insurance provider. For example, Medicare only covers blood tests that measure your cholesterol, lipid and triglyceride levels.[8] Meanwhile, the following table goes over examples of cardiovascular disease screenings that Aetna does and doesn’t cover for eligible high-risk policyholders:[11]

Covered Medically Necessary Tests

Uncovered Experimental Tests

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein testing

Measurement of carotid intima-media thickness

Measurement of apolipoprotein B

Noninvasive measurement of arterial elasticity

Homocysteine testing (only for the evaluation of certain conditions)

Peripheral arterial tonometry

 

Cardiac stress testing and stress echocardiography

 

Ultrasound of the upper and lower extremity arteries

 

Venous ultrasound

 

Other unproven coronary heart disease risk tests

Health Insurance Plans and Heart Disease Treatment Costs

In 2020, adults treated for heart disease paid an average of $5,540 for treatments, although the cost of your care will ultimately depend on the type of treatment you receive. For example, inpatient hospital stays related to heart disease cost an average of $14,850 per year. Fortunately, most of these expenses are covered by insurance, with private policies and public health care programs covering around 80% of heart disease treatment costs in 2020.[12]

That said, patients with health insurance can still generally expect to spend around $2,000 per year out of pocket for health care related to heart illnesses.[13]

Financial Assistance and Resources for American Heart Month

Since the out-of-pocket costs associated with heart health care are substantial even for insured people, you may want to look into financial aid options, such as a government-funded Medicare Savings Program or a hospital-funded charity care program that can help cover some or all of your share of your medical bills.[14] Meanwhile, the American Heart Association offers multiple resources for individuals with heart disease, including the following:[15]

  • Financial assistance programs to help cover medicines and treatments
  • Transportation assistance
  • Search portal to help you find health care providers specializing in heart and brain health in your area
  • Healthy recipes and dietary tips
  • Support groups for caregivers or individuals battling specific heart diseases
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FAQs

When is National Wear Red Day?

In 2026, National Wear Red Day will occur on Friday, Feb. 6.[3]

How much does it cost to get tested for heart disease?

Without insurance, cardiovascular test costs may range from a couple hundred dollars to upwards of $20,000, depending on the type of test.[13]

Are heart screenings worth it?

In general, it is more cost effective to detect heart problems through a screening and start treating them early than to begin treating advanced cardiovascular illness after you have started experiencing serious symptoms.[16]

Will health insurance pay for a heart scan?

Your health insurance may pay for a heart scan, but it often depends on the type of scan. For example, coronary artery calcium scans typically aren’t covered.[17]

Can you get a heart disease screening with Medicare?

Yes, Medicare Part B covers heart disease screenings once every five years.[8]

Sources

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “American Heart Month Communications Toolkit | Heart Disease.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  2. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “Coronary Heart Disease - Women and Heart Disease.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  3. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “American Heart Month.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  4. American Heart Association. “February Is American Heart Month.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  5. The American Presidency Project. “Proclamation 3566—American Heart Month, 1964.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  6. Million Hearts. “ABCS of Heart Health.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  7. HealthCare.gov. “Preventive Care Benefits for Adults.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  8. Medicare.gov. “Cardiovascular Disease Screenings.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  9. American Heart Association. “No-Cost Cardiology Consultations for Under-Resourced Communities: Doctors With Heart.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  10. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “Other Screening Resources.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  11. Aetna. “Cardiovascular Disease Risk Tests - Medical Clinical Policy Bulletins.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  12. National Center for Biotechnology Information. “Healthcare Expenditures for Heart Disease Among Adults Aged 18 and Older in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  13. GoodRx. “How Much Does It Cost To Manage Heart Disease Each Year?” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  14. USAGov. “How To Get Help With Medical Bills.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  15. American Heart Association. “FindHelp: Your Health Roadmap.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  16. Cardiac Care Associates. “The Importance of Regular Heart Screenings: What Tests Do You Need?” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
  17. GoodRx. “Coronary Artery Calcium Scan Cost and Savings Tips.” Accessed Jan. 15, 2026.
About the Author
Dylan Tate
Dylan Tate
Health Insurance Expert

Dylan Tate is an insurance content expert for SmartFinancial with over 300 articles about home, auto, business, health and life insurance under his belt. He has over nine years of experience writing for online publications, primarily about gaming and esports. In the process, he has become an expert in search engine optimization, news reporting, feature writing and copy editing.

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