What Health Screenings You Should Get,

and When

Are you familiar with that old adage, “A stitch in time saves nine?” 

It’s especially true when it comes to your health: catching a health problem early, even before it becomes symptomatic, and nipping in the bud, can prevent you from having to treat it later, when it’s nine times more serious and costly to treat – or even fatal.

Preventive care saves lives.

By the millions.

For example, 51 percent of people with cancer found out as a result of a wellness checkup and screening visit with their physician. If they had waited until the cancer became symptomatic, their mortality rate would be much, much higher.

But too many people are skipping the checkups and wellness visits they need. According to the same Aflac-sponsored survey I linked to above, somewhere around half of Americans have been skipping checkups and preventive care visits. Which leads to big problems down the road.

That’s a dangerous game. 

Don’t wait until you’re feeling sick to take care of yourself!

You’ll save time, effort, and expense if you catch problems early by staying on top of all your recommended screenings.

And most health insurance plans and health sharing co-ops will help you pay for one wellness physical per year with your doctor.

So getting basic screening services should cost you very little out of pocket.

Depending on your age, here are the visits and screenings you should be getting: 

Screening Recommendations

Guidelines vary based on age, gender, and individual risk factors, but here’s a general breakdown:

Children

Newborns

• Newborn screening within the first few days of life to test for various genetic and metabolic disorders
• Growth and development checks at 1 week and 1 month

1 to 12 Months

• Growth and development checks at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months

1 to 5 Years

• Growth and development checks at 15, 18, 24, 30 months and 3, 4, 5 years
• Dental (annual or as recommended). Routine pediatric dental care is an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act. That means that all major health insurance plans sold through the state exchange marketplaces and that qualify for subsidies under the ACA must include routine pediatric dental care.

So if you have one of these plans, there’s no reason not to be scheduling these visits. 

6 to 18 Years

• Growth and development checks (annual or as recommended)
• Dental (annual or as recommended)

Learn More: Recommended pediatric preventive care services, screenings, and vaccinations

Women

18+ Years Old

• Dental (annual)
• Breast self-exams (monthly)
• Blood pressure check (annual)
• Cholesterol screening (as recommended) 
• Pelvic exam (annual) 
• Pap smear/Cervical Cancer Screening every 3 years starting at age 21, or as recommended
• STI screening (annual, or as recommended) 
• Full body skin check (annual) 
• Mental Health evaluations (as recommended)
• Fertility Testing (as recommended)
• Prenatal/Pregnancy evaluations (as recommended)
• Vaccinations (as recommended)

40+ Years Old

• Mammogram (every 2 years or as recommended) 
• Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Cancer screenings (as recommended)
• Bone density screening (as recommended)
• Thyroid panel (as recommended)
• Lung CT (as recommended)
• Colonoscopy (as recommended)

60+ Years Old

• Dementia and Alzheimer’s screening (annual)

Men

18+ Years Old

• Dental (annual)
• Testicular exam (monthly self-exams encouraged in addition to annual checkups) 
• Blood pressure check (annual)
• Cholesterol screening (as recommended) 
• STI screening (annual, or as recommended) 
• Fertility testing (as recommended)
• Full body skin check (annual) 
• Mental Health evaluations (as recommended)
• Vaccinations (as recommended)

40+ Years Old

• Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Cancer screenings (as recommended)
• Thyroid panel (as recommended)
• Prostate cancer screening (as recommended) 
• Colorectal cancer screening (as recommended) 
• Lung CT (as recommended)
• Colonoscopy (as recommended)

60+ Years Old

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening (as recommended) 
• Prostate screening (as recommended)
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s screening (annual)

*This is not an exhaustive list, and additional screenings may be recommended by your doctor based on your health history and family risk factors.

You may be tempted to skip some of these screenings, especially if you have to pay a little extra for the tests and labs. Don’t! Regular health screenings help you identify problems early. The earlier you detect issues, the better your chances of turning things around.

If you’d like more information on programs with the best preventative care options, contact your Personal Benefits Manager today. 

Click here to schedule an appointment, or call 800-913-0172 to get started.    

To your health and wealth,

Wiley P. Long, III
President - HSA for America

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