Is It Time for Your Annual Checkup?

November 4, 2020 2:47 pm Published by

Schedule your annual checkup.
Have you seen your primary care provider (PCP) this year for a wellness visit? If not, go ahead and schedule it now. If your insurance provides a free annual wellness or preventive care visit and you haven’t used this benefit in 2020, don’t miss out on this important opportunity.

Why Is Preventive Care Important?

You might think it’s OK to skip out on your appointment with your PCP if you feel well and don’t have any pressing medical needs, but that’s not how a wellness visit works. This checkup helps your PCP get an overall picture of your health and alert you of any potential problems. Your PCP is your partner in good health—when you’re sick and when you’re well.

Even if you are healthy, routine physical exams allow your PCP to:

  • Administer vaccinations, including scheduled vaccines and annual vaccines like the flu shot
  • Discuss your personal and family medical history, which allows the PCP to personalize recommendations for health screenings, including cardiac or lung cancer screenings, to your needs
  • Monitor your vital signs to identify negative trends that may be reversible
  • Perform bloodwork that monitors for issues like diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels or vitamin deficiencies
  • Perform a general physical exam that involves examining the eyes, nose and mouth, listening to the heart and lungs, evaluating blood pressure and more
  • Prescribe medications for chronic conditions
  • Provide in-office screenings for conditions such as high blood pressure
  • Update your medical records

How Often Should You Visit Your PCP?

While annual checkups aren’t specifically recommended for all age groups (except for children), they are strongly suggested by many PCPs and encouraged by some health insurance companies or if you have health risks or issues that need to be addressed more frequently. However, there is a regular appointment schedule for young children, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force outlines a timetable for specific screenings and exams for men and women’s health.

Children (Birth–21): For the first two months of your child’s life, he or she should visit the PCP once a month, then again at ages 4 months and 6 months. From 6 months to 2 years, the child should see the PCP every three months. When your child turns 2 years old, the visits slow to once every six months, and then they become annual visits beginning at age 3.

Ages 21–40: While annual preventive checkups with your PCP aren’t necessary if you’re in good health, they’re recommended if you have health issues, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, that need to be monitored. Your blood pressure should be checked at least every other year, and a lipid panel to screen for cholesterol issues should be performed at least every five years. During this time, sexually active women will need a Pap test every three years, and Pap and HPV tests every five years from 30–65.

Ages 30–40: If you have not scheduled regular annual PCP visits in the past, now is the time to start. During these yearly visits, you can discuss preventive care for conditions such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Beginning at 40, women should begin regular breast cancer screenings, and their PCP can coordinate that care. All the preventive tests performed during your 20s should continue.

Age 50+: Annual doctor’s visits are increasingly important. In addition to the tests you’ve had during your 20s through your 40s, you should begin getting colonoscopies at least once every 10 years to screen for colorectal cancer. Men should also discuss prostate cancer screenings with their PCP. Other screenings, such as those for lung cancer or abdominal aortic aneurysm, are recommended based on your personal health risk.

Patients With Medicare Part B: After 12 months of Medicare Part B, you’re eligible for a free annual Wellness visit. While this isn’t a full checkup, it’s an opportunity for you to speak one on one with a PCP, discuss your health risks and develop a plan to help prevent disability and disease. At this time, you discuss screenings you need and work with the PCP to develop a schedule for those.

Regular visits with a PCP are a critical component of your health. To find a PCP for you or a family member, visit care.mrhc.org/primary-care or call (662) 664-5181.

 

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This post was written by Magnolia Regional Health Center