Provider Alerts

Facility Site Review (FSR) Update
Calendar Year 2026

Skin Cancer Prevention Behavioral Counseling

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends counseling young adults, adolescents, children, and parents of young children about minimizing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation for people aged 6 months to 24 years with fair skin types to reduce their risk of skin cancer.

The USPSTF found adequate evidence that behavioral counseling interventions available in or referable from a primary care setting result in a moderate increase in the use of sun protection behaviors for fair-skinned people, at 6 months to 24 years of age.

Most studies of interventions to increase sun protection behaviors have been limited to people with fair skin types.

Risk Factors

• Exposure to UV radiation during childhood and adolescence increases the risk of skin cancer later in life, especially when more severe damage occurs, such as with severe sunburns.
• People with fair skin types (ivory or pale skin, light hair and eye color, freckles, or those who sunburn easily) are at increased risk of skin cancer.
• People who use tanning beds and those with a history of sunburn or previous skin cancer are also at substantially increased risk of skin cancer.
• Other factors that further increase risk include an increased number of nevi (moles) and atypical nevi, family history of skin cancer, HIV infection, and history of receiving an organ transplant.
• Most studies of interventions to increase sun protection behaviors have been limited to people with fair skin types.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the official USPSTF

recommendation statement here: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/skin-cancer-screening#fullrecommendationstart

You can also visit the Skin Cancer Risk Factor page on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website at: https://www.cdc.gov/skin-cancer/risk-factors/?CDC_AAref_Val

Documentation recommendations for medical record review compliance:

1. Progress notes should include documentation of assessment of risk factors such as fair skin type, history of sunburns, previous use of tanning beds, and family history of skin cancer.
2. Providers should also include counseling regarding minimizing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation for people aged 6 months to 24 years with fair skin types to reduce their risks of skin cancer.
3. Health education should be provided and should include a brief discussion regarding the use of sun protection including the use of broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun-protection factor of 15 or greater; wearing hats, sunglasses, or sun-protective clothing; avoiding sun exposure; seeking shade during midday hours (10:00 am to 4:00 pm); and avoiding indoor tanning bed use.
4. The patient’s refusal for counseling should be documented in the patient’s chart.

Inquiries on the DHCS MRR requirement regarding the Skin Cancer Behavioral Counseling can be sent to fsrteam@hpsj.com.

For more information on USPSTF Skin Cancer Prevention: Behavioral Counseling, please visit: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/skin-cancer-counseling#citation2

If you have any further questions, please contact your Provider Services Representative, or call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-936-PLAN (7526). You may also visit https://www.hpsj.com/alerts/ for online access to the documents shared. The most recent information about Health Plan and our services is always available on our website www.hpsj-mvhp.org