Medical appointments you shouldn’t skip
If it’s been a while since your last doctor’s exam, you’re not alone. Many people put off or don’t go to doctor’s appointments for a wide range of reasons. Whether you don’t like going to the doctor, worry about costs, just want to tough it out, or don’t know where or when to go, there are a few regular visits you simply shouldn’t postpone.
Well-Adult Annual Checkup
Remember, the doctor isn’t just for when you are feeling ill. Seeing your doctor for an annual checkup when you aren’t experiencing any acute issues helps them better assess your health, address concerns, notice signs of future issues, and track your progress over time. In addition, getting annual lab work when you’re feeling good helps establish a baseline that can be referred to in case any issues do arise.
New or Worsening Symptoms
Are you ignoring a new or worsening pain or symptom? Toughing it out and hoping it will just clear up on its own? That persistent cough, stitch in your side, skin rash, or headache could be the sign of something more serious going on. Maybe it is nothing, but any new symptom that’s occurring often or is beginning to affect your daily life calls for examination by a health care provider — and it shouldn’t wait.
Cancer Screenings
When it comes to finding — and fighting — cancer, timing can make the difference between life and death. Even if you are feeling good, your doctor may spot things that can signal serious illness. By putting off routine screenings for breast cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer, skin cancer and other tests, you can delay a diagnosis, and malignancies may not be caught until more advanced stages. This not only reduces positive outcomes but can result in much higher costs and hospital time.
Chronic Illness Check-ins
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, asthma, heart issues, or other chronic conditions, regular checkups are essential. Many chronic conditions get worse over time and require close monitoring of medications, symptoms and lab work. In addition, with a chronic condition complications can sometimes snowball quickly, especially when combined with the flu, COVID or other common viruses.
“The whole point of screening is to make sure we catch things early while there is still a chance to do something about it. And in the best case scenario, we can prevent illness.” — Dr. Donald Ford, Cleveland Clinic
Still not convinced? Here are three reasons you should book your annual appointments:
- Regular and annual checkups put you in the driver seat for your own health — giving you more control and options for maintaining your health
- Eligible preventive care is covered in full by your Trust benefits
- Your health and wellbeing benefit not just you, but your family, co-workers and community
Find a provider
Find an in-network provider by searching the BlueCard® PPO network online at premera.com or call (800) 810-BLUE (2583) and reference the plan prefix TMP.