With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, getting your annual check-up is likely the last thing on your mind, especially if you have a family. After working 40 hours, finishing your housework, and catching up with those special people in your life, it’s easy to reschedule that yearly appointment and put it off for a few weeks. It’s just a check-up, and if you are feeling healthy, it’s easy to assume there is no harm in skipping it. Well, even if you are feeling fit and fine, we are here to tell you how important that yearly appointment is. Here are 4 reasons you need your annual check-up.
They Save You Money Long Term
While not all health insurance plans cover a yearly check-up most do for a very good reason. By seeing your doctor and getting evaluated you can detect life-threatening illnesses early, which saves both them and your money on treatment long-term. Annual blood work can also detect early signs of preventable illnesses like diabetes. So that one or two hours in your doctor’s office could save you months or years of discomfort down the road, and keep your bank account nice and healthy for years to come.
You Build A Relationship With Your Doctor
If you see a doctor yearly, chances are it’s the same one. Annual check-ups allow you and your doctor to get to know each other. This allows your MD to get to know your pre-existing conditions and your medical welfare so they can better treat you in the future. By having an honest conversation with your primary provider, they can provide you better treatement. Have you struggled with your cholesterol in the previous years? Meeting with the same doctor allows them to track trends and suggest appropirate treatment. Overall trends in your behavior and health along the years matter substaintly and allow your doctor to treat you better.
You Learn About Your Overall Risks
Most Americans carry inherited risks based on their genetics. This includes cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a litany of other inherited dieseases that could affect your life long-term. Seeing your doctor yearly allows you to track and mitigate those risks with your doctor through proper changes, like diet and exercise. By tracking variances in your baseline vitals throughout the years, your doctor can evaluate for any major changes in your bloodwork and suggest valuable lifestyle changes to prevent any major issues down the line.
It’s Free
You may not know this, but with most health insurance plans, an annual check-up is entirely free. This means your bloodwork, your physical exam, and likely anything else the doctor feels is in order is covered under your healthcare plan. This allows you to check your health free and clear and plan accordingly. If it’s free, why not?
Here is a link to common free preventative services provided with marketplace plans: https://www.healthcare.gov/preventive-care-adults/
Schedule Your Annual Check-Up Today
Even if an annual exam isn’t included in your health plan, and it’s very likely it is, it pays long-term to meet with your doctor and cross all your t’s and dot all your i’s. Doing so might just save you and your insurance company valuable dollars in the future.
